


"The Skywalker-Solo Adventures: Vol. 1 - Treasure Hunt"

by JediPrincess_K



Series: The Skywalker-Solo Adventures: Tales of a New Generation [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: 20 years after Rise of Skywalker, Comfort Reading, Coming of Age, F/M, First Love, Happy Ending, Padme's wardrobe, Romance, Sequel to my Episode X
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:07:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 34,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27249295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JediPrincess_K/pseuds/JediPrincess_K
Summary: Twenty years after the Battle of Exegol and Ben Solo's return from the World Between Worlds, he and Rey are married with six kids, training up another generation of Jedi Knights and galactic heroes alongside their friends.In "Treasure Hunt," the Solos' oldest daughter Tienna comes of age and is invited to live and work on Naboo. Accompanying her is Evander Dameron, ace pilot and son of Poe Dameron & Zorii Bliss. As Tienna wrestles with coming into her own as a leader and attempts to search for an impossibly lost family treasure, will her budding relationship with Vander prove a distraction from all she hopes to accomplish?"The Skywalker-Solo Adventures: Tales of a New Generation" is a series of stories that is a sequel to "Star Wars: Episode X - The Rescue Mission." It is recommended to read that story first in order to understand the background of "The Skywalker-Solo Adventures."
Relationships: Original female jedi character/original male character, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Zorii Bliss/Poe Dameron
Series: The Skywalker-Solo Adventures: Tales of a New Generation [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1989583
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Author's Note

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for choosing to read my Star Wars fan fiction. It means a lot to me, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

 _The Skywalker-Solo Adventures: Tales of a New Generation_ are a sequel to my other fanfiction, _Star Wars: Episode X - The Rescue Mission_. I envisioned that story as the next Star Wars movie, and I now imagine _The Skywalker-Solo Adventures_ to be like a TV series set twenty years after the events of _The Rescue Mission_. I definitely recommend reading _The Rescue Mission_ first, as it will give important background and answer some questions you might have, such as "How is Ben Solo alive??"

In this first episode, _Treasure Hunt_ , the galaxy is at relative peace, at least on a large scale. Rather than fighting a war, what our heroes' children have to grapple with most is themselves, their family legacies, their role in the galaxy, and what it means to bear so much responsibility. While they do have some adventures (as the name of the series would suggest 😁), the heart of these stories is to explore what the galaxy looks like two decades later and how our heroes' children are starting to find their place and purpose in it.

If you enjoy my stories, kudos are appreciated, and I always welcome feedback—not just praise, but also constructive criticism. If you find a typo or a mistake, please do let me know, and if you see an error in Star Wars lore or continuity (I am not an expert in the EU), please let me know about that as well so I can fix it.

Enjoy, and may the Force be with you!


	2. Cast of Characters

**_Cast of Characters:_ ** _  
Ages as of 55 ABY  
(20 years after the Battle of Exegol)_

**Rey Solana Skywalker Solo:** Jedi Master, head of the Ahch-To Jedi Academy, and Princess Consort of Alderaan. Married to Ben Solo.

**Ben Organa Solo:** Jedi Master and Academy instructor, Galactic Defense Force special operative, and Viceroy of Alderaan.

_Their children:_  
 **Tienna Breha Organa Skywalker-Solo (daughter),** 18, Crown Princess of Alderaan and Jedi Padawan  
 **Javen Luke Skywalker-Solo (son),** 16, Jedi Padawan  
 **Jace Obris Skywalker-Solo (son),** 14, Jedi Padawan  
 **Breckin Han Skywalker-Solo (son),** 11, Jedi Padawan  
 **Jolie Leia Skywalker-Solo (daughter),** 9, Jedi Youngling  
 **Nimiri Carystelle Skywalker-Solo (daughter),** 5, Jedi Youngling

**General Poe Dameron:** leader of, and pilot with, the Galactic Defense Force's Relief Corps. Married to Zorii Bliss.

**Commander Zorii Bliss:** pilot and strategist with the Galactic Defense Force's Relief Corps.

_Their son:_  
 **Evander Dameron,** 19, a talented young pilot about to enter the Galactic Defense Forces flight school. Goes by the nickname Vander.

**Finn Tico:** Jedi Master, instructor at the Ahch-To Jedi Academy, and advisor to the Former Soldier Reintegration Project (FSRP). Married to Rose Tico.

**Rose Tico:** Property and communications manager at the Ahch-To Jedi Academy.

_Their children:_  
 **Astra Paige Tico (daughter),** 15  
 **Kieran Tico** and **Shimm Tico (sons),** 13-year-old twins and Jedi Padawans  
 **Wing Tico (daughter),** 9

**Jannah Calrissian Carson:** Jedi Academy supply pilot and FSRP manager. Daughter of the late Lando Calrissian. Married to Bashar Carson.

**Bashar Carson:** former Resistance special ops soldier (Starkiller Base team veteran), Jedi Academy supply pilot and weapons teacher.

_Their children:_  
 **Juso Calrissian Carson (son),** 11  
 **Angellys Calrissian Carson (daughter),** 9, Jedi Youngling

**Han Solo:** Rebel/Resistance hero and pilot, now a retired grandfather who lives on Ahch-To.

**Ahsoka Tano:** Jedi Master and Ahch-To Jedi Academy instructor.

**Drs. Ar'shem and Letta Kent:** Husband and wife who are Headmasters of the Jedi Academy's standard school, supervising all academic lessons and tutor droids; native Alderaanians.

**Governor Lacalla Tolline:** Head of the Ruling Council of the Alderaanian Exiles

**Ryoo Naberrie:** Leia's cousin, age 83  
 **Pooja Naberrie:** Leia's cousin, former Senator in the Imperial Senate at the same time as Leia; age 81  
 **Tismé Naberrie:** Great-granddaughter of Pooja, handmaiden to the Queen of Naboo, age 14  
 **Niyaé Naberrie:** Great-granddaughter of Ryoo, Princess of Naboo, age 10  
 **Queen Beralline of Naboo,** 15  
 **Shahri:** one of the Queen's handmaidens, 16


	3. Prologue

_Poe Dameron  
One year after the Second Battle of Exogol  
Coruscant_

Zorii was always a tough cookie. From the moment I first met her, I've never ceased to be impressed by her tenacity and her ability to handle intense situations. But watching her give birth to our son definitely brought my appreciation for her up another few notches. I'm glad I didn't have to do it.

Evander is a miracle. I know that billions of babies are born (or hatched) every day, but that doesn't lessen my amazement when I look at his perfect tiny form, his marvelous face. The fact that our DNA and my wife's body could produce something so wondrous is astonishing. An everyday miracle.

Light! Don't let me mess him up! My wonderful mother, Shara, died when I was eight and can no longer help me. My father, Kes, loved me, but he didn't want to let me go pursue my dreams in a healthy manner, so I ran away from home and pursued them in the most unhealthy manner imaginable. Zorii's mother, Zeva, groomed her to be a criminal and the eventual head of a spice running cartel, and she made Zorii feel like she had no other choice in life. It's safe to say we're both a little nervous about being parents. If only I can prevent Evander from being as foolish as I was, or at least for a shorter period of time.

I just hope he doesn't figure out that if it weren't for that foolishness, he wouldn't exist...

*~*~*~*

_Ben Solo  
Two years after the Second Battle of Exegol  
Ahch-To_

My beautiful wife is holding a baby girl in her arms, and never have I felt so alive, so delighted, or so terrified.

I think about my parents and wonder if, when I was born, my father felt the same way as I do now: his wife is extraordinary, a Queen in every way, and he is nothing but a scoundrel. How did the Force see fit to give _him_ a child? Or _me_? I don't deserve this.

Tienna is exquisite, perfect. Will I be a good father, the one she deserves? Will I be able to strike a balance between supporting her hopes and dreams when they are right and warning her away when they are wrong? If dark forces try to seduce her away, will I be able to stop them?

Let her not suffer for my mistakes, and may her mistakes be nothing like mine!


	4. Rites of Passage

_**55 ABY**_  
_**(20 years after the Battle of Exegol)**_  
_**Ahch-To Jedi Academy**_

Tienna Breha Organa Skywalker-Solo, Crown Princess Persumptive of Alderaan and almost a Jedi Knight, stood nervously in an anteroom near the entrance to the grand Jedi Temple. Just outside the closed door, dignitaries were filing in and taking their seats for this formal occasion. On the other side of the aisle, the Jedi Knights, students, and residents of the Academy would also soon enter and be seated.

In the anteroom, two Nabooian handmaidens were putting the final touches on Tienna's hair, makeup, and clothing. The women were employed by Ryoo Naberrie, a woman of high esteem and regal bearing from the distinguished House of Naberrie on Naboo—and Tienna's first cousin twice removed. The women had put Tienna's long, lustrous dark brown hair up in a series on intricate braided loops around the back of her head, a hairstyle neither Tienna nor anyone on Ahch-To could have pulled off, but which had seemed almost easy for these women to accomplish. Her thin Padawan's braid hung down by her right ear in a nod to tradition.

One of the handmaidens was inspecting Tienna's dress, which had to be kept as spotless as possible, for it was a precious heirloom not only for her family but for the entire galaxy. It was the elegant white gown her grandmother Leia Organa had worn during the medal ceremony following the battle of Yavin. Now as the heir to the throne of Alderaan, Tienna had the honor of wearing the dress, as well as the accompanying silver necklace, belt, and bracelet, on the most important day of her life. It was not only her eighteenth birthday, but also the day she would formally be invested as Heir of Alderaan and become a Jedi Knight.

The second woman was making sure that not a single strand of hair was out of place, as she had meticulously prepared it so that the Crown Princess's tiara would fit within it perfectly. A small collection of Alderaanian crown jewels had survived the planet's destruction; at the time, they had been on Hapes in an exhibit of royal jewels from around the galaxy. One of them would soon grace Tienna's head.

When the handmaidens were satisfied, one of them signaled Tienna's mother, informing her that her daughter was ready. But Rey would not be coming to her; Rey had her own role in the ceremony and would be at the front of the temple. Tienna would walk alone, the independence fitting for this day.

After receiving the signal that all was ready, Tienna picked up the replica Rhindon Sword from its case. The handmaidens opened the door and ushered her out into the vestibule. She made her way to the archway that led into the temple's grand hall. Through the archway, she could see that the temple was suffused with sunlight that streamed in through the many windows in its walls and ceiling. As she stood there, musicians began playing the Royal Anthem of Alderaan. It was her cue.

Taking a deep breath, Tienna held the sword aloft with both hands on the hilt and the blade pointed up, then began her stately walk up the center aisle of the temple to the great tree at the front. The tree was an extremely lifelike replica of an enormous Alderaanian kemlit tree in full bloom. When designing the temple along with some of the galaxy's premiere architects, her parents had decided to make the tree the focal point of the front of the temple, because to them it represented life, hope, and perseverance—just what the Jedi needed as the Order recovered from its descimation.

It was also just what she, the heir to the Alderaanian throne, represented to the refugees and descendants of that planet. She would be an important figure in the preservation of that place, its artifacts, culture, and way of life. It was ironic, since she had been born long after it was destroyed, so sometimes she felt wholly inadequate to the task. One day, however, there would come a time when no one who had lived there would still be alive, yet the remnants of that world needed to be preserved forever. She had a fire in her heart for that task. She would fight for the culture. She not let them down.

Standing at the front facing the assembly were her parents, with the aged Jedi Master Ahsoka Tano to their left and Governor Lacalla Tolline of the Alderaanian Ruling Council to their right. All were dressed in white. Tienna's father wore the only surviving Viceroy's crown, a simple platinum circlet coming to points around its circumference, etched in front with the Alderaanian royal crest flanked by stars. Her mother, though technically the Princess Consort, wore the only surviving Queen's crown, a magnificent creation featuring swirling flowers and leaves made from pastel-colored jewels. Ahsoka's robes were plain, as she preferred, but her parents' raiment was richly decorated and embroidered, befitting their royal status, and Governor Tolline's gown was also elegant and fine. Governor Tolline held a velvet hemisphere on which sat the Crown Princess's tiara.

When Tienna reached the front, her father began speaking. "Is this our daughter, come before us once again?" His words were a continuation of the formal proclamations from her Day of Demand ceremony two years ago on her sixteenth Name Day. The Day of Demand was the day when all heirs to the Alderaanian crown demanded the right to be invested as the next ruler of Alderaan by stating the Challenges of the Body, Mind, and Heart which they would complete to prove themselves worthy. Although there was no longer a planet called Alderaan, Alderaan was a sacred place in hearts, minds, and history, and she would one day be its ruler.

"It is I, Tienna Breha Organa Skywalker-Solo, Princess of Alderaan," she replied.

"When last you stood before us," Ben continued, "You swore to undertake Challenges of the Body, Mind, and Heart. This you have done." Tienna had chosen to climb a mountain on a nearby island for her Challenge of the Body, as in former days, Alderaanian heirs—including Leia and Breha—had often chosen to climb Appenza Peak. For her Challenge of the Mind, she had chosen an extensive research project on Alderaanian royalty. For her Challenge of the Heart, she had chosen to undertake humanitarian missions, just as as her grandmother Leia had.

"How do you judge me, my father and viceroy?"

"I judge that you have completed your three challenges with great strength and even greater spirit. In all ways, you have proved yourself worthy." Her father beckoned her forward, and Tienna ascended the few stairs that led up to the dais that surrounded the tree.

Once Tienna stood right in front of Ben, he gripped the sword hilt with her for a moment, then Tienna released it to him and went down on her knees. Ben placed the sword in a scabbard strapped to his hip, then turned to take the tiara from Governor Tolline. Before the destruction of Alderaan, Ben would have placed the Heir's Crown on her head, but it no longer existed. There was a replica, but following a discussion with Governor Tolline, she and her parents had decided to use the surviving Crown Princess's tiara because of its status as a genuine heirloom from Alderaan.

The tiara was fashioned in an inverted style, with intricate designs made of sparkling diamonds, pearls, and enamelled flowers hanging down on her forehead while the rest of its circumference settled into her braided hair.

"May all those present bear witness!" Ben called out. "My daughter is hereby invested as crown princess, heir to the throne of Alderaan."

Tienna rose to her feet and turned around, and the assembly clapped and cheered. But she was not yet done after the sounds of their acclaim died down. In fact, three ceremonies would take place today. In addition to becoming Crown Princess and a Jedi Knight, she would also graduate from school and bring her primary education to a close. Governor Tolline spoke to a couple in the front row. "Dr. Ar'shem Kent and Dr. Letta Kent, would you please come forward?"

Drs. Ar'shem and Letta Kent were in charge of the Jedi Academy's standard school, overseeing all of the children's non-Jedi educations. They had many tutor droids at their disposal, but the Kents also taught lessons themselves. Tienna had always found them kind and wise, and the depth of their knowledge never failed to astound her. Both were seventy-five years old and members of the ever-dwindling group of native Alderaanians. They had survived because they were on Corellia at the time of their home's destruction. They had devoted their lives to knowledge, study, teaching, and the preservation of their society's way of education.

Dr. Ar'shem (the headmasters allowed the students to use their first names, since their last name was the same) had an olive complexion, very dark brown eyes, and hair that was now streaked liberally with white, but one could tell that it had been a rich dark brown in his youth. Dr. Letta looked quite different, with her ivory skin, graying light blonde hair, and pale blue eyes. But both teachers' eyes were kind and looked with pride upon their student as they reached the front of the temple.

Dr. Letta spoke first. "Tienna Skywalker-Solo, you have worked diligently on your education. You have found balance between your Jedi training and your academic studies. You have put forth your best efforts in all subjects and have done so with both perseverance and integrity. Your Challenge of the Mind project shows not only sterling scholarship, but a clear dedication to learning and understanding what it means to be a ruler of Alderaan's people."

Dr. Ar'shem continued the presentation. "It is therefore with great pride that we announce today your completion, with honors, of the Alderaanian Standard Curriculum with an Alderaanian history and culture module." There were various standard curriculums that schools and tutors throughout the galaxy could chose to teach, and each one required a module of study focusing on the local history and culture. Though Alderaan was gone, the Alderaanian Standard Curriculum was still the curriculum of choice in many places due to the high academic standards and emphasis on fine arts that the Alderaanians had prized. Of course, for the Crown Princess of Alderaan, no other curriculum would do, right down to the local history and culture module. No other local history module would have made any sense for Tienna anyhow, since the hidden world of Ahch-To certainly didn't have one, unless you counted Jedi history, and she learned all that during her knighthood training.

Dr. Letta held up a silver tube, which she uncapped, and Dr. Ar'shem carefully withdrew a rolled up piece of paper. "On this occasion," he pronounced, "we present you with this diploma certifying your accomplishment." He unrolled the diploma, and Tienna almost let out a gasp of delight as she beheld the lovely certificate. Reading and writing on paper was uncommon in the galaxy, where nearly everything was electronic, and so Dr. Ar'shem and Dr. Letta had created an extra-special work of art. True son and daughter of Alderaan, where creative arts were so highly valued, Dr. Ar'shem was a phenomenal calligrapher, and Dr. Letta was a peerless artist. Around the exquisite lettering were painted flora, fauna, and scenes of their beautiful, beloved homeworld.

"Thank you," Tienna managed to say. She looked up and saw that Dr. Letta's eyes were both proud and melancholy. Dr. Ar'shem rolled the diploma back up and placed it in the tube, which Dr. Letta handed to Ben to hold. Dr. Letta nodded at Governor Tolline, then the two teachers walked back to their seats.

Master Tano, holding her staff topped with a ring, now began speaking. Her voice rang out clear and strong, seemingly undimmed by time, its tenor solemn but happy. "Honored guests, today this Padawan, Tienna Skywalker-Solo, will become a Jedi Knight, taking a significant step on her journey to draw ever closer to the will of the Force and become a guardian of peace and justice for the galaxy."

Master Tano faced Rey. "Master Rey Solo, has Tienna Skywalker-Solo passed the Jedi Trials?"

Tienna's mother beamed with unabashed maternal pride. "She has, Master Tano."

"Then approach, Padawan, and I shall cut your braid."

Tienna stepped to the side, close to Master Tano. Ahsoka pulled a small scissors from her robes and deftly severed Tienna's Padawan braid, placed it in her robe pocket along with the scissors, then stepped back. She gestured to Tienna to stand in front of her mother. She did so, and daughter stood squarely before mother.

"It is now my great privilege to bestow upon you, my daughter, the rank of Jedi Knight. Please kneel."

Tienna lowered herself to one knee and inclined her head. Rey ignited one half of her yellow staff saber, then brought it low over each of Tienna's shoulders in turn. "By the rights of the Masters and by the will of the Force, Tienna Breha Organa Skywalker-Solo, you may rise. You are now a knight of the Jedi Order." As Tienna stood and looked at her mother, she noticed that her mother's eyes were bright, and a tear hung on one of her eyelashes.

Rey turned off her saber and hooked it to the ornate belt that encircled her gown, then unhooked another that hung there—Tienna's saber. "My daughter, I could not be more proud of you. You have already wielded this lightsaber in training. Now I return it to you with the charge that as a Jedi Knight, you use it wisely, only for defense and protection, never for attack. Do you accept this charge and the responsibility that comes with wielding the weapon of a Jedi Knight?"

"I do," Tienna replied firmly, so all the assembly could hear.

"Then I return it to you in full confidence." She handed Tienna the saber.

"Turn around, Tienna," Ahsoka said softly. Once she had done so, Master Tano lifted her voice to the assembled congregation. "It is my honor to present to you Jedi Knight Tienna Breha Organa Skywalker-Solo. May she always seek the truth and follow the will of the Force!"

At this pronouncement, the assembly burst into enthusiastic applause. Tienna ignited her saber's violet blade and held it high for a moment as she looked out over the audience, then switched it off again and moved to hold the saber hilt over her heart, inclining her head respectfully as she did so. Once the applause had died down, Tienna walked back down the aisle and out of the temple into the sunlight. It was a gorgeous day.

Rey, Ben, Ahsoka, and Governor Tolline followed her out, and Tienna's parents stood next to her to form a receiving line. Tienna received hearty congratulations, handshakes, and even some kisses on the cheek from the guests as they filed past. First came her own family and adopted family: Grandpa Han, Chewbacca, Uncle Finn and Aunt Rose (for so they called them, despite not being of any blood relation), their kids, her own brothers and sisters, and Uncle Poe, Aunt Zorii, and their son Evander, who had managed to make the trip, saying they wouldn't miss it for anything. It had been several years since she had seen the Damerons—since her Day of Demand, in fact—and she noticed that Evander had grown extremely handsome, looking very much like his father. After telling her "Congratulations," Evander was forward enough to say, "And you look absolutely stunning."

She and Evander had known each other from early childhood, but Tienna felt suddenly shy and off-kilter. "Thank you," she managed, having a hard time meeting his eyes, but noticing he didn't have any problem gazing at her.

The moment passed, and the dignitaries came through next, including the Ruling Council of the Alderaanian Exiles (at least those who supported the Skywalker-Solo family's claim to the throne), Republic officials who had worked hard to make sure the Jedi Academy stayed safe and well-funded, and Ryoo and Pooja Naberrie and members of their families. Then the rest of the Jedi Academy's Knights and students—and the families of those who lived here—came through the line to congratulate her. Tienna's heart was happy as she greeted each one, especially the youngest students, who looked to her with unsullied love and admiration.

Bringing up the rear, even some of the Academy's beloved droids congratulated her. "Mistress Tienna," began C-3PO, "Allow me to express my heartiest felicitations on the momentous occasion of your birthday, investiture, academic graduation, and Jedi Knighthood! You have been one of my most enthusiastic pupils, so dedicated in your studies of etiquette, protocol, and languages! You will make a very fine queen one day." R2-D2 beeped happily. "Artoo expresses his sincere congratulations as well," Threepio related.

"Congratulations," added D-O. BB-8, who had come with the Damerons, whistled his agreement.

Tienna couldn't help but smile widely. She had such affection for all four droids. "Thank you very kindly, all of you."

Now that the guests had gone through the line, the two handmaidens, who had been waiting at the temple door, ushered Tienna back inside the anteroom. Leia's gown needed to be kept in pristine condition, so she would not wear it to the dinner party that would be starting shortly. Instead, she would wear her new Jedi robes. Students were given the privilege of designing their own robes when they reached Knighthood, and Rey had taken Tienna on a special trip to the fashion houses of Naboo, where they had commissioned several sets of elegant dress robes and a few other sets of sturdier everyday robes.

Money was no object—each fashion house was eager to provide the family of the great war hero, Jedi Master, and Princess Rey Solo with clothing free of charge, partly out of gratefulness for her role in saving the galaxy, but mostly so they could claim the prestige of having her as a client. Thanks to this fact, Tienna had also received numerous other styles of garments and outfits for her wardrobe. She would be well attired when she left the Academy. But of course today was a day for wearing her loveliest set of dress robes, which were constructed from various types of fabric in multiple hues of purple and lavender and embroidered with traditional Alderaanian and Nabooian designs. Tienna felt as much a Princess in them as she had in Leia's dress.

The tiara would remain on her head, as the Ruling Council of the Alderaanians had declared this a state occasion. There were precious few events that could be called such for them, and they took every opportunity that came along.

Tienna and the handmaidens walked over to the dining hall, where the reception and dinner was being held. Even though the event was in her honor, her parents had warned her it wouldn't be all fun. She would gain a lot of first-hand experience in how a Princess—or a Jedi, and in her case, both—handled a room full of notable people. Fortunately, Threepio had schooled her impeccably on decorum, manners, and customs, and the Drs. Kent had seen to it that Threepio's teaching was supplemented with a human touch.

Tienna had not expected to see anyone before going in to the reception, so she was surprised to see her parents outside the entrance. They nodded to the handmaidens, who went inside, leaving the three of them alone.

First Rey and then Ben caught Tienna up in hugs, albeit careful ones, because none of them wanted their crowns to slip or any component of their ensembles to end up crooked. When Ben pulled back, his face was alight with pride. "Tienna, you already know we are proud of you. But we want to tell you once again before you step out into your new life that no matter what happens from here on out, there is nothing you could do to make us stop loving you. Even if you accomplish far less than you intend, make a mess of something important, feel like a failure, or even make some bad choices, you'll forever be our beloved daughter. That doesn't mean we'll always approve of your choices, but we'll always be ready to give you any help or guidance you might need. Unconditional love from my parents and your mother rescued me from the dark side and the horrible choices I made, and I feel that passing on that kind of love is the greatest thing I could do."

Ben smiled tenderly. "I know I've told you this before, but it never hurts to say it again—we place no expectations on you other than to follow the will of the Force and be a woman of integrity. When I was young, I resented my parents, and of course, they weren't perfect. I felt too much of a sense of pressure and obligation to live up to their—and my uncle Luke's—enormous legacy, and it's part of what Palpatine used to break me."

Rey spoke next. "We know you're ambitious, talented, want to do your very best, and hold yourself to the highest standards. You feel the weight of responsibility to see that Alderaan's legacy isn't lost forever, to help rebuild the Jedi and their reputation, and no matter what we've said"—Rey gave her a little smile—"not to be a disappointment to your parents. But honey, don't let the weight of all that wear you down. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Don't take on even more. Don't forget to take time each day for peace, calmness, and listening to the will of the Force."

Rey and Ben were right; Tienna had heard this all before. But there was something comforting in her parents' predictable advice. "I will," she promised them.

Rey squeezed her daughter's hand and looked towards the door. "Ready?" Tienna smiled and nodded.


	5. The Invitation

Entering the reception, the first people to greet Tienna were the Ticos. The receiving line outside the temple had been formal, but now it was time to act like the family that they basically were.

Finn grabbed both of Tienna's hands and gave her a kiss on the cheek. His eyes twinkled. "Congratulations again, you amazing girl." She knew the only thing that tempered his usual enthusiasm and held him back from a full-on hug was his desire not to mess up her robes, hair, or tiara.

But Rose cut in and gave Tienna a hug, regardless of her finery. "I'm so proud to be your aunt, sweetheart. Love you!"

Finn and Rose's twin sons Kieran and Shimm were a little too cool to hug or give her much more than a mumbled congrats, but little Wing had always looked up to Tienna, and Wing hugged her enthusiastically, Rose admonishing her (rather hypocritically, Tienna thought with amusement) to be careful of Tienna's clothes.

The oldest Tico child, Astra, was closer to Tienna's age—three years younger—and they probably would have been very close friends if it weren't for the fact that Astra was not Force-sensitive and had always carried around resentment over it, as well as envy of Tienna's abilities, which had resulted in a certain unavoidable distance between them. Astra tried to hide it as well as she could, and the two could be considered friends, but Tienna could still sense Astra's true feelings through the Force. She understood, and felt bad for Astra and her sister Wing. They took after their mother in their lack of Force sensitivity, while their twin brothers inherited their father's abilities. Who could say why some had the ability and some didn't? In Jannah's family it was the other way around, with their son Juso not having any Force abilities and their daughter Angellys being the one who was a Jedi Youngling.

Despite the sadness within her, Astra still gave Tienna a warm hug and a smile. Tienna knew that Astra did not resent her personally, and that her friendliness towards Tienna was genuine. Rather, her bitterness was directed at the Force. Tienna knew her "cousin" was strong and determined with an indomitable spirit, and that the Force had a plan for her too. Astra just needed to find it and accept it.

The Carsons were right behind the Ticos, and Angellys pushed her way through to Tienna. "You look so gorgeous," the girl breathed, not daring even to touch the princess in her formal clothes and jewelry, even though under normal circumstances she probably would have thrown herself at Tienna—that was the kind of girl she was—and being friends with Tienna's sister Jolie, who was the exact same age, Tienna usually got a double dose of adoration.

Tienna smiled and gave the girl's hair a slight ruffle. "Thank you, Angellys." Juso added his tweenage boy congratulations and an awkwardly distant side hug, then Jannah approached, embraced her, and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Proud of you, Princess," she told her. Jannah's husband, whose real name was Bashar, but who always went by his last name of Carson, gave her a quick hug as well. Tienna liked the genial former Resistance soldier Jannah had married. The man had the darkest complexion she had ever seen, which his daughter Angellys had inherited. In addition to his fun personality, Tienna would always hold a special affection for him since he had been a part of the Starkiller base assault team, and had therefore been one of the reasons her grandfather Han was still alive.

On the Carsons' heels were Tienna's little sisters, Jolie and Nimiri. They both embraced her at the same time, heedless of her clothes.

"Tienna, you're so pretty!" Jolie gushed.

"Can I try on your crown?" Nimiri asked.

Tienna laughed joyously. "Thank you, Jolie, and no, Nimiri, I'm sorry, but the Alderaanians are very strict about who can wear this crown." The girl's face fell. "But you look so beautiful in your dress," Tienna added as she knelt down at Nimiri's level, "just like the princess you are." She gave Nimiri a kiss on the cheek and an extra squeeze.

Tienna had such a precious relationship with her sisters. After Tienna, Ben and Rey had had three boys in a row. By the time Rey announced her fifth pregnancy, Tienna believed she would never have a sister. When Jolie was a baby, Tienna cuddled her, snuggled her, played with her, and tried to make her smile as often as she could. As a result, Jolie grew up into Tienna's little shadow. When Nimiri came along, Tienna, who was thirteen by then, became like a second mother to her baby sister. Jolie might easily have become jealous, but Tienna treated her then-five-year-old sister as if she were her best helper and made Jolie believe she was as much of a grown-up caretaker as Tienna herself was. This sense of importance and inclusion blunted sibling rivalry and created an iron bond between the three.

Tienna suddenly developed a lump in her throat. She'd avoided thinking about how much it would hurt to leave her sisters...and everybody. She was excited about what she was about to do, but she felt like her heart would break if she considered the implications, so she always willfully banished the thoughts. She wasn't sure how she would deal with it when the time came.

Once again pushing her thoughts aside to deal with later, she looked up and saw that her brothers, Javen, Jace, and Breckin, hadn't come along with her sisters because they were all crowded around Evander Dameron. Vander—as she remembered he liked to be called—was holding court and, judging by his animated demeanor and hand gestures, he was regaling them with piloting tales.

"Princess." Tienna realized she had been staring when the voice of her grandfather broke into her thoughts. She quickly turned to see Han sitting in a chair off to the side, flanked by Chewbacca and Master Tano, three elder statesmen who in her heart seemed more like royalty than she was. Her grandfather was smiling like he knew some kind of secret.

"Grandpa," she replied affectionately as she headed over to where the three were sitting.

Han took her hands. "You know I'm proud of you. If anyone had told me as a no-name youngster caught in the criminal underworld back on Corellia what my future would hold, I wouldn't have believed a word." He shook his head, still smiling. "Your grandmother would have been incredibly proud of you."

"She _is_ proud of me, Grandpa, I know," Tienna replied, smiling back at him.

"You're right, she _is_." This came from Master Tano. Chewbacca rumbled his assent and nodded his head.

"All right now, go on and have fun." Han winked at her. She chuckled lightly. "All right, Grandpa."

She turned around and almost ran into someone who hadn't been there a few moments ago. "Vander!" she exclaimed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Tienna skirted Vander, taking a few more steps in her intended direction. "You didn't scare me, I was just surprised. I didn't think anyone was behind me." A few things clicked into place—her grandfather's mischevious smile, his wink, his vantage point. He'd seen Vander spot her, break off his conversation, and walk up behind her. She blushed, an annoying propensity she'd inherited from her mother. She'd seen her mother blush from her father's shamelessly flagrant affection on more occasions than she could count.

Vander kept pace with her. "I thought no one could sneak up on a Jedi."

"It's pretty hard, _if_ they're paying attention. But I was talking to my grandfather, and I'm not particularly fearing danger here, either." _Why am I so defensive?_ she wondered.

"You of all people should probably always keep an eye out for danger."

She hated to admit it, but he was right. A Jedi should never let his or her guard down completely. Even here, possibly the safest place in the galaxy for her to be. Besides, if she wasn't in the habit of being alert here, she would let her guard down too easily when she was in other places where it mattered more. However, she was afraid that if she conceded this, it would make her look foolish and inept, particularly on this day which was about honoring her achievements and accomplishments.

"Tienna girl!" Tienna turned her head and saw that Poe, effusive as ever, had spotted her and was making his way over, followed by Zorii. _Saved_ , Tienna thought with relief. Poe, like most of the Ticos, Carsons, and her sisters before him, felt free to give her an enthusiastic hug regardless of her raiment. He looked at her with a big smile on her face and gave her a few affectionate pats on the arm for good measure. "How dare you grow up?" he teased her.

Tienna laughed. Poe had called her "Tienna girl" since she was born, and though she saw him a great deal less than Finn, he was still like a doting uncle, too.

Zorii came alongside him and gave Tienna a quick hug. Zorii was as reserved as Poe was demonstrative, though she had loosened up a bit over the years. Still, Tienna knew it was a sign of affection that Zorii had deigned to give her a hug at all. Poe and Zorii made a great team, but in some ways it was definitely a case of "opposites attract."

Tienna had no further opportunity to converse with the Damerons, however, as she was immediately greeted by Dr. Ar'shem, Dr. Letta, many of the other students and instructors from the Academy, and as many dignitaries as could finagle some face time with her before the meal was announced.

At dinner, Tienna found herself flanked by her parents on one side and her grandfather on the other. Also seated at the table were Chewbacca, Master Tano, Governor Tolline, the Republic's liaison with the Jedi Academy, and Ryoo and Pooja Naberrie. Neither woman's husband was with her—Ryoo's husband had passed away some years before, and Pooja's husband no longer traveled due to infirmity. They had each brought some other family members with them, though, including Ryoo's ten-year-old great-granddaughter, Princess Niyaé, but those relatives were seated at other tables. Tienna had plenty of names to remember, and many more to learn soon. Fortunately, her father was good at a technique for using the Force to induce photographic memories and had taught her well. It was essential that a princess and future queen make it priority to remember those she met.

Tienna took a big breath and glanced around. Pooja caught her eye and smiled a smile intended to put her at ease. Tienna smiled back. It wasn't hard to like Pooja. She thought back to the day many months ago when she had received her invitation from the two sisters.

_Ryoo and Pooja stood before Tienna in holographic form, while Tienna stood between her parents. "We have a proposal for you, Princess Tienna," Ryoo informed her. "Once you have been knighted, come and live on Naboo for a time as our guest. You could continue your education by enrolling at Theed University, where you would learn more not only about galactic politics and history, but also about your great-grandmother's culture and heritage. When you are not studying, you would be a prominent and respected member of Queen Berraline's retinue. You would get real-world experience in being a protector and guardian, and in addition, you would have the opportunity to observe and participate in the political process. Politics, as I'm sure you realize, is something one cannot truly learn in a classroom, but rather must be mastered through experience."_

_Ryoo looked at Pooja, who spoke next. "Because Alderaan is no more, you may be wondering where to go and what to do next. We invite you to think of Naboo as your second home, my dear, as you take your first independent steps out into the larger galaxy. Our position affords us the ability to open many doors to you here on Naboo—and a few elsewhere as well, if you so choose."_

_Ryoo began speaking again. "If the Jedi are to become guardians of peace and justice once again, what better place to go than a world dedicated to those very things? They were your great-grandmother Padmé's greatest legacy."_

_Excitement had bubbled up within Tienna immediately. "Your invitation is very generous, cousins," she answered. She looked at each of her parents in turn to gauge their reactions to the women's offer. They were looking at each other, no doubt conversing through that bond they had. Tienna had to work to contain her impatience. She wanted them to say "yes" without hesitation._

_Ben spoke first. "Indeed, your invitation is a very kind one, which would likely benefit our daughter enormously. We ask that you give us several days to meditate on this opportunity and determine if it is the will of the Force."_

_"Of course," Ryoo answered. "We would expect nothing less than careful consideration. Contact me when you have made your decision."_

_"We will do so, Lady Naberrie," promised Rey. The two older women inclined their heads in gestures of respect, then the holo winked out._

_Now Tienna was free to express her exuberance. She turned her shining eyes on her parents. "Mom, Dad, this is perfect!"_

_Ben put his hand on her shoulder. "It certainly seems so, but not everything is always as it seems. Our first impressions, our initial feelings, aren't always right. Perhaps some harm might befall you there, and the Force would warn us away. I've learned the hard way that following your own desires without regard for the will of the Force can be utterly disastrous." Tienna could see distant pain in his eyes._

_"Of course, dad," she said meekly. Naturally, he was right. She had to learn that trusting her instincts, even though they had been honed for years to be deeply attuned to the Force, could only get her so far. Such instinctual guidance was necessary in battle and other split-second scenarios, but for momentous decisions, taking time to listen to the Force was essential. Without thoughtfulness, she could easily make regrettable mistakes._

_Ben smiled and gave her shoulder a few fatherly pats. "That doesn't mean the answer won't be the one you want. Your mother and I will also meditate on this."_

As she came back to the present, Tienna's smile grew into a wider grin, knowing the time for announcing her decision publicly was nearly at hand.


	6. Departures

Once the main meal was over, but before dessert was served, toasts were made. Though toasts were common in many cultures around the galaxy, humility was deeply prized by Alderaanians and was required of any monarch, so the toasts were short and more about good wishes for the future of the Alderaanian legacy and the Jedi Order than about Tienna specifically. But the final toast—Ben's toast—served another purpose: the announcement of Tienna's plans for the future.

"Good friends and colleagues, I can add little to what has already been said about my beloved daughter and all our hopes for the future, though I will emphasize that it will take all of us to bring about the future we hope to see. Every being has a part to play, whether large or small, in making our galaxy a better place. All can and should follow the will of the Force, Jedi or not."

Ben paused briefly to look around the room and let his words settle in. Then he turned towards Tienna. "And now, I have the pleasure of announcing that our daughter Tienna has been invited by our esteemed relations Ryoo and Pooja Naberrie to continue her education on Naboo, as well as serve a unique apprenticeship in Queen Beralline's court. Tienna, Rey, and I believe it is the will of the Force for her to accept. We thank Ryoo and Pooja for their generous sponsorship." The assembled guests applauded and Ben raised his glass. "To a bright future for Tienna and for all of us! May we always follow the will of the Force!"

Calls of "To a bright future!" and "The will of the Force!" rang out around the room as guests clinked their glasses. Conversation started up again as dessert was served and the guests began discussing Ben's announcement.

Tienna's face shone with delight as she took in the scene. Her father put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her to his side, kissing her forehead. When he released her, her grandpa Han took a turn and did the same from the other side. She looked around the room, and her emotions almost got the better of her as she gazed upon her family, friends, and fellow students. She overheard Governor Tolline tell Ryoo, "I have never regretted championing her cause," and for a moment, Tienna's mood soured as she thought of all the Alderaanians who had bitterly opposed—and still did—the return of the monarchy to her family. But then as her eyes turned to the side, she glimpsed someone looking straight at her. She turned her head to see better who it was. Vander Dameron smiled and raised his glass in salute, and all thought of the hostile Alderaanians fled from Tienna's mind.

*~*~*~*

Late that evening, after all the guests had left and only Tienna, her parents, and the handmaidens remained in the dining hall, Tienna stepped out onto the terrace and leaned on the railing that ran around its perimeter. She looked out at the sea, illuminated by Ahch-To's moon and hundreds of thousands of brilliant stars scattered across the sky. When her parents had established this academy, they'd chosen one of the largest islands on the planet. It was in Ahch-To's tropical zone and generally warm all year round, so flora and fauna both flourished here. The place was a paradise, and Tienna thought there was no place in the galaxy more beautiful than her home. Yet she felt pulled away from it, too. She was growing up and longed to spread her wings, to make all her own decisions, and to experience more of what was out there. She sighed as she tried to bring her mental energy back to present moment so she could drink it in and forget about the tug-of-war going on inside her.

After perhaps five minutes, she sensed someone approaching and looked over to see Vander sauntering onto the terrace from the path that connected to it. She lifted her arms from the railing and watched him approach her, marveling at how audacious he was, yet at the same time realizing that she didn't actually mind that he seemed to have been keeping a fairly close eye on her all day. He leaned on the railing as she had been doing only moments before, putting his foot up on its foundation and gazing out at the sea.

"What are you doing here, Vander?" A breeze rustled her dress robes and mussed his hair a little. It made him look even more alluring.

He turned his head towards her. "Taking in the most beautiful view in the galaxy." He turned back towards the ocean; he didn't want to make her squirm under his gaze. She could make of his comment what she would.

Tienna appraised him for another moment, then turned back towards the water herself. After a short silence, Vander spoke again. "How do you feel about everything...really?"

"I'm happy...excited, eager...but a little bit afraid. I love my home and family, but at the same time, I want to get out there and prove myself to the galaxy. I want to make my own way, but I'm also nervous about the unknown and afraid of the fallout of any mistakes I might make. A Jedi should always be at peace, I know, but I definitely haven't perfected that yet. And I feel like my heart will break to part with Jolie and Nimiri."

She surprised herself with how much she was telling Vander right now. She had known him for a long time. But he was different now, all grown up. Yet it felt safe to confide in him. She sighed deeply. "There's no path ahead where I can have everything." She looked at him. "I know that sounds childish. No one can have everything."

He seemed to consider this. "I've always known what I wanted—to go to flight school and become a military pilot like my parents. I don't have any siblings at home to miss like you do. And Coruscant may be an exciting planet, but I've always wanted to see the galaxy, go from place to place, so I don't mind leaving it. I guess I'm lucky."

"I envy you that."

Vander looked at her boldly; she felt as if he were taking her full measure. Rather than making her uncomfortable, her stomach flipped and her spine tingled in a way she had never felt before. It was exhilarating and nerve-wracking at the same time.

He smiled a small smile and stated, "Strength rejoices at the challenge." It was the motto of the University of Aldera, as she had learned from her exhaustive study of Alderaanian history, but how would he know that? He made a small shrugging motion. "The motto of my school on Coruscant. It seems like a good one for you, too."

"I like it." By a sort of unspoken agreement, they both turned back to the sea, and all that could be heard for long minutes was the crashing of the waves.

"When do you leave?" Vander finally asked.

"A couple weeks. That'll give me about two months before the next term starts at Theed University. My family is going to sightsee for several weeks, so I'll get more acquainted with Naboo as a whole. After that, I'll have some time to get settled in and find my bearings in Theed before classes begin."

"What are you going to study?"

"Political science and Galactic history."

"Makes sense."

"Tienna?" Rey called from the doorway. "Who...?" She stepped closer. "Oh, hello, Vander."

"Hello, Aunt Rey."

"Enjoying the scenery?"

Vander wasn't sure of the exact implication behind her words, but his answer would be the same either way. "Absolutely."

"Feel free to enjoy it as long as you like, but the handmaidens need to see to Tienna now."

"Of course. Good night, Aunt Rey. Good night, Tienna." He looked at her a little longer than necessary.

"Good night, Vander," she replied, as she reluctantly followed her mother inside.

*~*~*~*

After breakfast the next morning, Ben announced that he, Rey, Han, Chewie, Finn, Rose, Poe, Zorii, Jannah, and Carson all had a joint gift for Tienna, and when the adults made a big deal out of it, all of Tienna's siblings and "cousins" were eager to see what it was as well. The adults led the entourage away from the Academy down the coast a short distance until they reached a rocky outcropping. As they all rounded the bend and saw what was on the other side, Tienna was struck speechless, but there were plenty of excited gasps, shrieks, and cheers as the children beheld a beautiful Theed Engineering light yacht. Coming to a stop right beside her, Vander gave a low whistle. "An absolute beauty," he pronounced, nearly salivating.

"A princess needs a proper ship, don't you think?" Ben declared with a huge grin on his face, the breeze tousling his salt and pepper hair.

"I personally made sure it was the best when I picked it up, Tienna girl," Poe added.

"So that's why you didn't leave for Ahch-To with mom and me!" Vander interjected. "Very sneaky, saying you had an assignment and would meet us here!"

"It was hard to keep it a secret from you, Vander," Zorii told him with a smile.

"It's a nice ship," Han said with a little shrug, "but Chewie, Rose, and I added a few...modifications we felt it needed," he told them, to general chuckling from everyone assembled.

"I can't wait to find out what those are," Vander stated eagerly.

"It's Tienna's, you dolt!" Javen chortled, giving Vander a playful smack on the back of the head. "What makes you think she'll let you fly it?"

Tienna raised her eyebrows and gave Vander a wry look. "Yeah, what makes you think that?" Her face dissolved into a grin and her laughter tinkled out across the beach, closely followed by more laughter from the rest of the group.

Tienna stepped forward and embraced her father. "How can I ever thank you all?"

"Just take good care of it and use it to serve the good of others," Rey replied as Tienna hugged her next. Tienna proceeded to embrace every one of the adults in turn—her big, eclectic, _wonderful_ family of the heart.

The moment Tienna stepped back from the last embrace, Jolie grabbed her hand. "I want to go see it, Tienna!"

Tienna smiled at her little sister. "Well, let's go then!" The girls ran off, with all the other kids following close behind.

Though modest in size, the yacht still contained a small but elegant common room, a master suite, several compact staterooms, a tiny galley, and even crew quarters. It was possible to fly the ship solo, but as Tienna made her own way out in the galaxy, she would likely end up with a pilot, a personal attendant, and probably other servants. As a princess, that was expected, although Tienna had certainly been raised to look out for herself; she was her own pilot, ladies' maid, mechanic (barely competent, but still), and guard.

After touring the rest of the ship, Tienna sat down at the helm, running her hands over the controls. Piloting wasn't her specialty, but her parents and grandfather had made absolutely sure she could at least fly any ship she came across, even if her skills were basic and lacked finesse. It would be a pleasure to fly this fine starship.

Nimiri sat down in the copilot's chair next to Tienna. She knew better than to touch anything, but their parents had definitely started teaching her the names and functions of everything, and she wiggled in the chair with excitement and pride while pointing to and naming various controls and status indicators.

All of a sudden, Nimiri was being scooped up out of the chair. "I gotcha," Vander growled playfully as he tickled her. Amid Nimiri's squeals of laughter, Tienna could hear Vander teasing her little sister. "Were you about to fly that thing, you silly porg?"

After another few minutes of banter, Vander set Nimiri down. "Let me have a turn to look at the helm, okay?"

"'Kay, Vander!" Nimiri caught sight of Angellys and ran off to tell her something.

Vander slid into the co-pilot's seat and began examining the controls. He glanced over at Tienna with a lopsided grin. "You will let me fly it, won't you?"

Tienna's mouth tipped up on one side in a fair imitation of his expression. "Maybe."

"Come on, you're killing me!"

Tienna decided to have mercy. "Of course." She didn't have to be paying specific attention to his emotions through the Force to feel the enormous spike of giddiness emanating from him that couldn't possibly be attributed solely to his passion for spaceships.

"Let's fly it right now," Vander suggested. Well, begged, really.

"The kids all want to go for a ride, but there aren't enough jump seats for everyone."

"So we take several trips. What's the problem?" he asked in a tone which indicated that anything necessitating extra trips was the exact opposite of a problem.

"All right," Tienna replied, glancing at Vander and realizing she was absolutely fine with it as well.

*~*~*~*

Poe and Zorii had put in for several weeks' leave in order to spend time with their friends after two years of not having seen them. During this time, Tienna was busy packing and preparing to depart, as well as soaking up as much time with her younger siblings and cousins as she could manage in her last days at home. Although Vander wanted nothing more than to spend significant amounts of time each day with Tienna, he knew she wouldn't appreciate him taking up too much of her precious time under the circumstances. So Vander ended up spending much more time with the boys of the island, all of whom looked up to him and were eager to hear his stories about competing in the Junior Sabers racing competition—which he had won at age seventeen—as well as any and all of his other piloting exploits. Normally he would have been as eager as they to oblige them, but he found his attention wandering towards trying to contrive ways to spend a few minutes with Tienna whenever possible. They did manage to share a few more conversations, but before they knew it, departure day arrived.

Rey and the rest of her children were all going with Tienna in order to enjoy several weeks' vacation on Naboo. The Damerons would head home at the same time, but they were going to give Rey's family an escort to Naboo before returning to Coruscant. It was unlikely the Skywalker-Solo clan would face any danger, especially in such a friendly system, but one never knew, and having several more ace pilots close by definitely wouldn't hurt anything. Plus, Poe had to pick his own ship back up; he'd left it in the Theed palace hangars in order to deliver Tienna's ship.

After hearty goodbyes to Ben, Finn, Rose, Jannah, and the others—with a strict admonishment from Rose not to stay away so long next time ("Yes, Ma'am!" Poe replied, grinning)—the two families boarded their ships.

A few years after the war, the renowned Corellian Engineering Corporation had with gratefulness and thanks gifted Rey, Poe, and Finn with their own star shuttles of a new design the company was debuting. The yachts were equipped not only with state-of-the-art hidden armaments, but also housed a sleek little one-man craft called an Arrow, which could serve simply as an additional, compact form of transport...or if needed, a starfighter. The diminutive ship was incredibly maneuverable, reminiscent of the Jedi's Delta-7 Aethersprite starfighter from the Clone Wars era, but with smooth silver styling that made it look like something manufactured by Theed Engineering, and just enough size to have its own hyperdrive.

Vander loved their Arrow. He had christened it the _Meteor_ at a young age and had grown up learning to fly in it; by now it was like an extension of himself. So when the ships arrived in the Naboo system, Vander was all ready in the _Meteor_ 's cockpit, having loaded BB-8 into the astromech's perch, prepared to clear the hangar and provide an additional escort down to the planet's surface. If it gave him a chance to show off a little, well, so be it.

Javen, too, was going to get a little practice flying in the Skywalker-Solo Arrow, which they had named _Javelin_. Vander could see him exiting their hangar. The two of them formed up and established a communication channel. "Silver Two, this is Silver One," Vander called.

"Silver Two standing by," Javen replied. All the Skywalker-Solo kids were—or were learning to be—good pilots. They'd had piloting lessons not only from their exceptionally talented parents, but also from Captain Han Solo himself, though he wasn't doing much flying anymore these days. They'd grown up learning to fly not only in the family's newer ships, but also in the _Millennium Falcon_ and Luke Skywalker's old X-wing, _Red Five_. Vander thought of the times he'd gotten to ride in the _Falcon_ when his family had visited Ahch-To. He would never forget the experience of flying in the legendary freighter.

As the flight group headed towards the planet, Vander relished the feel of leading his own little squadron, small as it might be. He already knew how to fly better than most in the galaxy, but he was itching to start classes at the Galactic Defense Forces flight academy in order to learn more about military strategy and how to fly as part of a team.

Just before landing, Vander and Javen guided their Arrows back into their respective hangars. When the three yachts touched down, a group of royal staff members and important officials led by Queen Beralline herself stood by at the palace hangars to greet the Skywalker-Solos. The Damerons were only planning to stay long enough for a meal and refueling, but Vander had other ideas.

"Dad, I want stick around with the Solos until Rey and the kids leave," Vander explained to Poe before they disembarked. "I'll give them an escort around Naboo, then I'll jump home after they leave for Ahch-To. I can bunk with the Solo boys, no problem. It'll give me a chance to see some of Naboo and hang out some more with Javen."

Poe snorted. "I wasn't born yesterday, Vander. I know what it is you really want to see and who it is you really want to hang out with."

Vander lifted his chin. "Do you have a problem with me spending time with any of the Solos? After all, aren't they your second family? I have plenty of time until I have to report to the flight academy, and as a grown adult, I can make my own decisions."

Poe grinned. "That you can, but you know as well as I do that the _Meteor_ belongs to me, and hyperfuel ain't cheap."

"Which is a fake excuse, because the Galactic Union gives you a hyperfuel allowance." The Galactic Union was the latest incarnation of the Galactic Republic; it had formed in the year after the end of the war with the First Order, and the course corrections that its architects had written into their new constitution seemed to be holding steady so far. Poe, Finn, and Rey had been some of the advisors to those architects. In light of their past and current aid to the GU, the three of them had expense accounts that covered anything they could possibly need—expensive hyperfuel most of all.

"That doesn't mean we have to waste it when the GU is still trying to help rebuild worlds from two and even three wars ago."

Vander gaped in astonishment at his father's apparent prohibition for several seconds before Poe burst out laughing. "There isn't a more admirable young lady in the galaxy than Tienna. So stay. Spend time with her. Enjoy yourself." Poe arched an eyebrow. "But if I hear you've been anything less than the perfect gentleman, you can kiss my hyperfuel allowance goodbye for the rest of your life." He pointed a finger right at Vander. "And that'll be the least of it."

Vander flashed a dashing Dameron smile. "I promise I won't get into any trouble." He paused and gave his father a hopeful look. "Will you convince Aunt Rey to let me stay?"

Poe chuckled. "All right."

*~*~*~*

Once Poe and Zorii had jumped into hyperspace and were underway back to Coruscant, Poe swiveled in his pilot's chair to face Zorii in the co-pilot's chair. "Do you think it's a passing infatuation? Vander and Tienna?"

Zorii turned to face Poe. "Not if he's anything like you. And you know he is." One side of her mouth tilted up in a wry smile.

"That is true. And there's only ever been one woman for me." He grinned at Zorii, still stunning despite her age, and reached over to circle his arms around her waist and pull her close. Very, very close.

Zorii kissed him thorougly. "I meant Tienna," she continued. "If Vander's anything like you, she won't want anyone else."

Poe grinned again. "Do tell."

"We did a lot of crazy, dangerous, life-threatening stuff. Awful stuff I now regret. But through it all, you respected me, loved me with a purity non-existant in my world, and were the truest friend I could ask for. It killed me when you left."

"I wish I hadn't had to. I wish it with all my heart."

"It's one of life's ironies that sometimes the devastations end up clearing the way for something much better. If you hadn't left, we might both be dead, and we sure as shootin' wouldn't be here. And I don't want to be anywhere else in the universe."

It was Poe's turn to kiss Zorii thoroughly. When he began speaking again, he picked up Zorii's hand and brushed his thumb over the silver ring on her finger. It had been his mother's wedding ring, and during the war, he had taken to wearing it on a chain around his neck until he found the right person to give it to. Back then he had never dreamed he would give it to Zorii, the girl he thought had been lost to him. "At least Vander won't get into as much mischief chasing his girl as I did chasing mine." His eyes twinkled.

Zorii did more than kiss him.


	7. Lost Treasure

Over the next two weeks, Tienna experienced a thoroughly pleasant time touring Naboo's most notable sites with her family and Vander. Pooja had gone with them once, to Theed's spectacular Regal Gardens, but most of the time, they'd been accompanied by the most knowledgeable guides available, all engaged on their behalf by Queen Beralline's staff.

Tienna would never admit it to anyone other than herself, but she very much enjoyed having Vander along. He had an easygoing manner, laughed readily, teased her younger siblings...and looked at her in a way that made her heart beat faster and her insides churn.  
She found herself wondering if this was the way people felt when they were high on spice. Everything felt brighter and better to her, and she found herself smiling at unexpected times for no apparent reason. She was beginning to realize that in a few days he would leave, and she would miss him more than she thought possible.

During their last full day on Naboo, Ryoo escorted the Solo group on a visit to the capital city's Royal Museum. The museum was rich in information and artifacts that chronicled the history of Naboo's elected monarchy, and Tienna found it absolutely fascinating. A good-sized section was dedicated to her great-grandmother, Padmé Amidala.

Kara gazed at her ancestor's official portrait, done in oil paint, as portraits traditionally had been all the way back to those ancient times before image capture technology existed. Padmé had been a woman of noble ideals and righteous action, but she had been unwittingly used by Emperor Palpatine, and her forbidden choice of husband had been so tragically ill-fated. Yet her children had been instrumental in saving the galaxy. Then her grandson had been integral in the rise of the next oppressive regime, as well as its fall, and still worked towards preserving the renewal of the galaxy's freedom. What would Padmé have thought of all this?

Vander stepped up beside her, and Tienna looked at him surreptitiously out of the corner of her eyes. She thought he looked particularly handsome today, wearing simple but well-made attire that set off his coloring—tan trousers, dark brown leather half boots, and a forest green Chandrilan wrap shirt. "What are you thinking?" he asked quietly.

"What if she had never lived? What would have happened to the galaxy?"

Vander was thoughtful for long moment. "Are you troubled by the fact that good people can't always keep other people—even those they love, like Anakin Skywalker—from making bad choices?" He paused. "Or are you thinking about the fallout from a person's mistakes?"

Tienna looked at him briefly before turning back to the painting and answering. "I suppose." She was silent for long seconds. Vander's insight was actually dead on. Did he know her that well already, or was it just chance? "Yes."

"Tienna." It was his turn to look away from the painting and towards her. "Each person is ultimately responsible for his or her own decisions. My parents hammered that one into me." He sighed. "They should know."

She looked at him, her eyes troubled. "We can influence others, though. Take your dad. He's a general, and people follow his orders." Her eyebrows turned down as she made a small frown. "And our decisions can point them in wrong directions they wouldn't have gone in otherwise. I'll bet your mom knows that better than most, given her mom."

Her words were true but obviously weighted to one side. He could see she was lacking the balance the Jedi were supposed to seek, but he wasn't sure what to say to make her understand that she didn't have to take so much responsibility upon herself. He wanted to take Tienna in his arms and soothe away the weight of responsibility she clearly felt from both her position and her family's legacy. wanted to kiss away the furrows above her eyebrows. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair and whisper in her ear that there was no one more beautiful inside and out in the entire galaxy. But he couldn't. Not yet, anyway, and not here regardless. He sighed.

In that moment, Ryoo walked up behind them, and Vander was grateful. "Aren't they even more spectacular up close?" she said, gesturing to the three regal gowns in Padmé display. "It is such a shame that these three are all that remain of her extensive and elaborate wardrobe."

Tienna's head snapped around to face Ryoo directly. "What??" she said in alarm, her inner turmoil forgotten. "What happened to the others?"

"My dear Tienna, you don't know?" the elderly woman asked, astonished. "Well, I suppose, with your grandmother Leia passed on and your parents perhaps unaware of what happened...but then, your family visited this museum on a prior trip, so surely..."

Ryoo continued to muse aloud. Tienna had visited Naboo a number of times, but she did not remember hearing about the loss of Padmé's wardrobe. She had been pretty young—six years old, maybe—when they visited this museum before, and she had likely only been gazing at the gowns on display, not listening to the stories being shared by whichever relative had been guiding them that day.

"...but it's all right here on this touchscreen display," Ryoo finished.

"So far I've just been admiring the portrait," Tienna explained. "I haven't read anything yet."

"Well, no matter." Ryoo patted Tienna's arm. "Here, let me show you." She guided Tienna over a few meters to one side, and Vander followed quietly behind.

Ryoo gestured at the touchscreen. "All the information is here, but I might as well just tell you. Your great-grandmother had an elaborate and extensive wardrobe. All Queens of Naboo do, of course, but because she spent eleven years as a Senator on Coruscant, the number of formal outfits she owned was more extensive than most. Once the relationship between Padmé and Leia became known, official ownership of the wardrobe was given to Leia. She treasured them as her last link to the mother she had never known, and told me that she hoped one day a granddaughter would wear them.

"Years ago, your grandmother led a mission to Cato Neimoidia for the Resistance. She was searching for her self-exiled brother, Luke, and she hoped to extract Lor San Tekka, a man who might know Luke's whereabouts, from that planet. She took the wardrobe along as a prop, her cover story being that she was considering storing the priceless heirlooms more securely on Cato Neimoidia. In actuality, one of the wardrobe cases was a dummy, and her operative, Poe Dameron, was hidden inside." Ryoo nodded at Vander.

"My dad told me about that mission," Vander confirmed. "Once the wardrobe was in position, my father was to put San Tekka in the dummy case for extraction. However, the First Order intervened and stole the wardrobe and abducted San Tekka."

"That's right." Ryoo nodded. "A First Order agent named Terex got away with the wardrobe and San Tekka, and while they were in hyperspace, Terex jettisoned the wardrobe. San Tekka reported to the Resistance that Terex feared Leia had hidden explosives, poison, or trackers in the wardrobe cases, but that in actuality, Terex seemed to take the greatest satisfaction in doing something that would cause Leia great pain."

Tienna was horrorstruck imagining Leia's feelings when she learned of the loss. Leia had already lost her whole world, both her biological and adopted parents, and many friends. Surely the few treasured items she still had would mean even more to her because of that, Tienna reasoned.

As if reading her mind, Vander spoke up once more. "My father said she was absolutely devastated when she found out."

Ryoo nodded. "And since they were dumped into hyperspace, no one will ever find them again. Naboo feels the loss keenly as well, as they were truly historical treasures. Fortunately, they were meticulously catalogued into the Naboo royal archives after Padmé's death. All of them are detailed here." She started bringing up high-resolution images and descriptions of Padmé's gowns.

Tienna found herself choked up. Poor Leia! No one in the galaxy had lost as much as she had, and all throughout her life, she just kept losing and losing and losing what was precious to her. The pain was inconceivable. Yet she never wavered in her purpose of serving the Light. The woman's strength and resilience in the face of loss was supernatural. How Tienna wished she could have known her grandmother! A tear slid down her cheek, and she wiped it away.

Ryoo fished a handkerchief out of her handbag and gave it to Tienna. "Padmé's and Leia's stories are indeed sad, but their example should inspire us all. Your mother's story is a similar one of strength despite tragedy as well, is it not? They are all women without whom the galaxy would not have been saved. That is _your_ legacy."

Tienna composed herself and nodded. "Indeed it is."

Several meters behind the three of them, Rey looked on, a disconcerted frown on her face.

*~*~*~*

The next day, the Skywalker-Solos departed for home. Tienna shed a few more tears thinking about how long it would be before she saw any of them again, especially her little sisters. The last person to embrace her was her mother.

"Sweetheart, I am so proud of you. Don't ever forget that it's _you_ I love, and that love will never change no matter how well or poorly you do here." Rey put her hands gently on Tienna's cheeks. "Just be Tienna and listen to the Force. Remember—balance. Even doing good can be a problem if you take on more than you can carry, draining you dry and robbing you of joy."

Tienna nodded. "I love you, mom." The two shared a long embrace before Rey boarded their ship and it lifted off the ground. Tienna watched as the _Javelin_ exited the hangar; Jace was getting a turn as escort this time. She waved until she knew her family could not possibly see her anymore.

Back in the hanger, Vander was waiting for Tienna, not wishing to intrude on her private goodbyes. As she walked back into the cavernous building, Vander fell into step beside her. Seeing her moist eyes, he risked overstepping his bounds and put one arm around her her back. He pulled her close to his side for just a few seconds and rubbed her arm with his hand.

Tienna looked up into his eyes and then surprised him by stopping and turning into a full embrace, laying her cheek on his chest. It took him a few seconds to get over his surprise, but then he put both arms around her, hugging her close and stroking her back with one hand. He wasn't happy that she was sad, but having her in his arms felt more glorious than even he had imagined. She stood there for a long time, still and silent, and he was happy to hold her as long as she wanted.

At length Tienna pulled away and started walking back towards the entrance into the palace, Vander matching her leisurely pace. "When are you leaving?" she asked him.

Ryoo and Pooja had arranged for Tienna to have two entirely free days after her family left, before she was to start her duties in the queen's court. She could choose to explore the extensive palace grounds, familiarize herself more fully with Theed, meditate and rest—or whatever she felt would best refresh and prepare her. When Vander found this out, he decided to see if he could somehow manage to stay for the two days, or at least part of them, although he knew she might rather be alone to get her mind into the right place.

"I don't know exactly," he hedged. "I don't have anything to get back for until flight school starts. What are you doing this evening?"

"At first, I had planned to ask the palace staff if I could take dinner in my room, and after that, I thought I would spend some time meditating and reading," she began, "but I've been thinking of doing something else instead."

They passed through the doors leading back to the palace and continued to navigate the sumptuous halls unhurried. "I have an idea I want to talk to you about. Would you like to have dinner on the garden terrace outside my suite? I'll tell the palace staff to set up a table and bring two meals if you would like."

She was nuts if she thought there was any question of his saying no. He smiled at her. "I would love to. It's a beautiful day to be outside. What time?"

"Will you come at the eighteenth hour and we can walk through the gardens together before dinner? From what little I've seen of them, they are spectacular."

"Of course." They walked in companionable silence for awhile until they approached Tienna's quarters.

"I'll see you later, then," he said, not able to come up with anything more eloquent.

"Yes," she replied, equally tongue tied.

He smiled at her, winked, then turned and walked down the hall to his room. Kara was thankful he couldn't see her flaming cheeks.


	8. Interdimensional Physics

After Vander left, Tienna grabbed her training remote, staff, and workout clothes and headed for the royal guards' training area, which Captain Felja had told her she was free to use. Every day during their vacation, Rey had led her family in some Jedi training, but it wasn't nearly as much as usual, and Tienna hadn't had a full weapons practice session in too long. Right now she needed to burn time before the eighteenth hour...and give her mind something else to do. At the moment, it was completely full of one thing and one thing only: how it felt to be held by Vander. His arms around her, his scent, his breathing, his heartbeat. She hadn't wanted it to end. After he'd winked at her, she felt like she could take on the galaxy. An ideal time for weapons training.

Upon reaching the training grounds, Tienna started up her remote, and soon she had to focus all her concentration on deflecting its bolts. Tienna wasn't all that good at wielding a staff—she was much more proficient with her single-bladed saber—but Rey insisted that _all_ her students take at least a little bit of staff training so they would understand the weapon and not just how to fight with it, but against it, as well as develop a different set of skills to make them more versatile, well-rounded, and capable of handling any situation in which they had to defend themselves or others.

For those same reasons, all the Jedi students also took training in martial arts. Jannah's husband Carson, a former special ops soldier with the Resistance, was their instructor. Additionally, he taught classes on shooting, bladed weapons, throwing weapons, and other forms of combat and self-defense, as well as field survival, for anyone on the island who wanted to learn, Jedi or not. Similarly, Jannah taught archery and field survival as well. It fostered a sense of comeraderie and inclusion with the non-Jedi siblings and even parents who lived on Ahch-To for the duration of their family member's training. It wasn't the Old Republic Jedi temple, that was for sure. But Tienna loved it. Her parents—and their friends—had indeed built something special.

After a good workout with the staff, Tienna moved on to lightsaber practice. Here she was in her element as she whipped her purple saber in every direction in tune with the living Force around her. When thoughts of Vander intruded, she upped the challenge level by wearing her blindfold and increasing the remote's settings. She thought wryly that trying to keep her attention on combat when she really only wanted to think about Vander was perfect training for suppressing distractions in real-world situations.

At last, tired but exhilarated from a successful training session, Tienna headed back to her suite to clean up and change before Vander arrived. As the eighteenth hour drew near and the exercise high from weapons practice wore off, she found herself growing more nervous and discomposed and wondered to herself how, in the space not quite five weeks, Vander had managed to go from just one of the "cousins" to turning her life upside down. She had other, much more important things to think about and prepare for, but her heart rebelled at every attempt to put it back in its place.

Tienna waited outside her door and watched him approach from down the corridor. She knew it was shallow of her, but honestly, she could stare at him all day. She loved the way his thick dark hair curled over his forehead, the way his smile crinkled the edges of his enigmatic brown eyes, and his tall, self-assured bearing. This evening, he was wearing a tunic of gorgeous cerulean blue that, if possible, only made him more attractive.

Once he was standing in front of her, Tienna had to wage a titanic struggle against her own brain in order to keep her wits about her. "Your highness," Vander began, extending an arm to her, his expression genteel but with playfulness behind it. "Shall we go for a stroll in the gardens?"

A wide smile broke over Tienna's face and a small chuckle escaped her lips at Vander's sweet, unnecessary formality, knowing no doubt that getting her to smile had been his objective in putting on the charming mien.

"Why certainly, sir," she rejoined as she took his arm, and he looked down, his full lips parting in a laughing smile of his own. They set off at a stroll, making small talk until they reached the gardens.

The area was quiet, with only a few people meandering throughout the grounds. As they headed towards a sprawling bed of fragrant _germenius_ flowers blooming in every color combination imaginable, Tienna tried to work up the courage to start talking about the subject she wanted to discuss. She was afraid he would think it ridiculous, a harebrained idea that would make him question her intelligence. And she didn't want him to think that about her. He'd never given her the least impression he would ever make fun of her, but she was still hesitant.

"What's on your mind?" Vander broke the silence, and Tienna could feel him studying her. "You look far away. Maybe even unsettled about something."

She stopped and turned to look at him. "How do you know me so well?"

_Because I notice everything about you,_ he wanted to say. Their eyes studied each other, and Vander was spared from having to answer when she sighed and continued speaking, turning forward and walking along once again. "You're right. I did say there was something I wanted to talk about. But I'm afraid you'll think it's silly."

He listened silently, waiting for her to finish. She took a big breath. "I can't stop thinking about our trip to the museum yesterday and learning about Padmé's wardrobe being dumpe into hyperspace. It's maddening. It makes me angry. And sad. Will the galaxy never stop hurting my family and destroying my heritage? I'm sick of people destroying, hurting, and taking. I want to reclaim something."

Tienna stepped closer to a cluster of purple and white _germenius_. "I know scientists say nothing without a hyperdrive can come out of hyperspace and that it would be impossible to find my great-grandmother's wardrobe, but I want to find a way. I want to get them back. For my family, for Naboo, and for Padmé's memory." She looked at the flowers as she spoke, because she didn't want to look at Vander's face and see any kind of disapproval there, any indication he thought she was being absurd.

She waited with bated breath for him to speak, looking at the intricate flowers but not really seeing them.

"What do you plan to do?" he asked gently.

She finally looked up then and saw that his expression was merely inquisitive. "I don't know. That's why I want to talk to you. Drs. Ar'shem and Letta did make sure I got an overview of interdimensional and theoretical physics as part of my science instruction, but I can't confess to really understanding it too well. I could learn a whole new language from Threepio more easily than I could understand how a hyperdrive works."

"And what makes you think I'm an expert?" He asked her this with a teasing grin.

"As a competitive pilot who no doubt understands more about the workings of a ship than I do, I thought maybe you'd have at least a little extra knowledge that could steer me in the right direction."

She sighed again. "Am I completely crazy?"

"Of course not! That would make all the scientists who are still studying hyperspace completely crazy."

"But finding items that are jettisoned into hyperspace has been considered impossible for millennia."

"Sentient life forms would still be stuck on all our home planets if no one ever questioned what was possible."

"Do you know anything about interdimensional and theoretical physics?"

"Maybe just a little more than the average person, but that's about it."

"Okay." The wheels were starting to turn again in Tienna's head. "Let's talk about it."

As they walked slowly through the lush and immaculately kept gardens, Tienna and Vander discussed what they knew about hyperspace travel.

"I'll start at the beginning even though I'm sure you already know the basics," Vander explained. "You know that even though hyperspace travel is commonly called "lightspeed" in everyday conversation, it's not actually traveling faster than light in realspace, which is impossible, but entering another dimension that allows us to quickly move from one place to the next."

Tienna nodded, and Vander continued. "What happens is that a short burst of speed combined with the workings of a hyperdrive—and I won't get into that right now, because I don't even really understand it myself—opens up a little portal or wormhole through which a ship can travel. Hyperspace communication relays are related to hyperdrives. We couldn't communicate instantly from one side of the galaxy to the other without the messages traveling through hyperspace as well."

"I'm still with you."

"All right. So, anything without a hyperdrive that gets let out into hyperspace—or a ship whose hyperdrive irreparably breaks—simply stays there forever because there's no way out. And neither we, nor any probes, can leave our ships while in hyperspace to explore it or look for anything, or we'd be stuck too. Which is why we know so little about what it's actually like in hyperspace."

"So we don't know if there's any inertia, for example," Tienna ventured, and Vander nodded. "Which means," she continued, "that we don't have any idea where in hyperspace the wardrobe cases would be. Would they be in the exact same spot where they were jettisoned from the ship? Or would they continue traveling in the direction the ship was going? And if they traveled, how fast?"

"Right. Scientists who have watched items being released in hyperspace report seeing them vanish from view quickly, but that could mean a lot of things. We're only sure they don't travel as fast as the ship, which makes sense since they don't have hyperdrives."

"And hyperspace obviously doesn't map exactly to realspace either."

"Correct," Vander confirmed. "Which makes their location even more of a mystery."

"But they still exist."

"We assume so."

By the twentieth hour, Tienna and Vander had traversed a good portion of the garden and made their way back to Tienna's terrace, where palace servants were laying out a delicious dinner of poultry, root vegetables, and colorful fruit. Once they sat down to eat, Tienna picked up the thread of their conversation again.

"One thing I don't understand is this. If nothing has been known to bring an object back out of hyperspace, how is it that ships are pulled out of hyperspace by the gravitational pull of large objects? The GU has interdictor cruisers based on old Imperial tech that prevents ships from going into hyperspace, or pulls them out if they get too close. And, if you make a blind hyperspace jump outside the known hyperlanes and get too close to a star or something, the navicomputer will pull you out. But that's risky because a lot of times, you will come out too close to it to escape."

"Gravity does indeed affect or touch hyperspace somehow," Vander confirmed. "The larger the gravitational pull, the easier it is for the navicomputer to detect it. But the reason the ship leaves hyperspace is because the navicomputer tells it to. It's not because the gravitational force itself pulls the ship out. As you said, normally you can't jump to hyperspace too close to a large gravitational force, but many a desperate pilot has done so over the years by overriding all the many safeties and backups on the navicomputer. Trying that stunt taxes the engines and hyperdrive so hard that many never succeed and are torn apart.

"However, there is a theory," he continued, "that hyperspace actually intersects realspace where gravity is strong enough."

Vander picked up a corner of their tablecloth. "Think of this tablecloth as realspace. All matter, and even light, is confined to it, and the shortest distance between two points is a straight line." He traced a line on the cloth with a finger. Then he folded the tablecloth so the two ends of his imaginary line were touching. "But hyperspace somehow allows us to bypass that. If you've seen a graph of how the force of gravity can warp realspace, it looks a bit like a massive mountain range of tall, skinny peaks.   
It's possible, maybe even probable, that hyperspace intersects with the tops of those peaks. But scientists say there's no way to know, because those massive gravitational forces are giant stars and black holes, and if they were capable of pulling objects out of hyperspace on their own, those objects would be drawn into them and destroyed before we had any hope of finding them."

At this, Tienna's face fell. "So it's lose-lose, then. If the clothes still exist, they're in hyperspace where we'll never find them. And if they've come out into realspace, they're destroyed."

"Theoretically. Maybe. No one knows for sure."

"Will you do some research with me?"

"Tonight?"

"The sooner the better. In two days, I start my official position here and I won't have any more time for it. The palace library is open all twenty-six hours a day to anyone with a pass."

He grinned. "I'm game."


	9. Outbound Flight

Tienna and Vander started scouring the palace library for hyperspace research at about the twenty-first hour, but by the time an hour had gone by, a problem was readily apparent.

"I can't understand any of what I'm reading," Tienna reported to Vander after returning to the table where he sat. "It's all too technical, filled with obscure scientific terms only a physicist would know."

"I'm running into the same problem," Vander agreed. "We need to try a different tactic."

"Why don't we look for news articles _about_ the studies," Tienna proposed. "Those should be more condensed and written in laymen's terms."

"Good idea." They spent the next hour taking this approach, but though Tienna was able to comprehend much more of what she was reading, none of it seemed relevant to their situation. She was tired, her eyes were starting to glaze over, and she had just put her head in her hands for a moment when she heard Vander quietly call out her name.

"Tienna! I think I've found something!" She was at his side in a flash, peering over his shoulder as he sat at a terminal.

"Look, here's something from just last year—a small study on mathematical models relating to theoretical exit from hyperspace. The mathematician who did the modeling thinks that ironically, the more massive the object, the more likely it is we could find an item pulled out of hyperspace by it. He thinks that their gravitational pull would be so great, the objects in hyperspace would reach the critical threshold to be pulled out of hyperspace at a distance farther away from it. The author concludes by saying that the Galactic Hyperspace Physics Association plans to conduct some real-world tests based on the models this year."

"So what this means is that if the wardrobe was pulled out by a black hole, we might have a chance of finding it, as opposed to being pulled out by a supergiant star."

"Yup. I was just about to go over to the galactic map projectors. Come with me." Impulsively, Vander reached for her hand and threaded his fingers through hers, then grinned at her and nodded his head in the direction they needed to go. Tienna grinned like a fool back at him, her whole body alive from his touch.

Vander led her over to the galactic map projectors. "We know that Terex left Cato Neimoidia with the gowns, but what was his destination, do you know?"

Tienna nodded. "After the museum visit, I looked up the incident in the historical archives. Terex took Lor San Tekka to the Great Forveen Nebula and left him there in a space suit, where the Resistance recovered him."

Reluctantly letting go of Tienna's hand, Vander turned on the holo projector, and a detailed map of the galaxy sprang up in front of them. He typed in the locations they needed and instructed the projector to zoom in. "Cato Neimoidia is in the Colonies, here," he said, pointing, "and the Great Forveen Nebula is here, in the Mid Rim, not all that far from us." He traced the route in the air.

"Even though hyperspace doesn't map to realspace, I guess we should start in that area. Are there any massive objects close to this route?"

Vander entered some search parameters based on the article he had just read, and most of the displayed locations vanished, leaving only the largest.

"Look!" Vander said with excitement, pointing. "There's a black hole here, almost exactly on the route from Cato Neimoidia to the Great Forveen Nebula!" He pointed to an area of the Expansion Region.

"How many hours from here to there?" She asked, then stopped short. "Wait—is there even a safe way to get there, though? Who would be traveling there to discover a hyperlane?"

Vander changed the search to show hyperlanes. "Let's look at the science lanes. Very few people care about them, but there are known routes to various phenomena—like the Great Forveen Nebula—that scientists use when they want to study them up close. Vander tapped the search screen, and a web of thin lines leading to very atypical destinations showed up.

"Ah ha!" Tienna said with satisfaction as she pointed out one little tendril in the web. "Scientists have visited the place before. There's a route to it from Kalinda."

Vander looked up one more bit of information. "Four hours," he said. "That's how long it would take us to get there."

"Do you want to go?"

Vander's eyes twinkled. "To a black hole? Of course!" In truth, he was sure it would be nothing but a wild mynock chase, but it was a chance to fly, to make Tienna happy, and to spend time with her all at once, and there was no way he was turning that down.

"I'll talk to Pooja about it in the morning. Maybe being a little vague about our actual destination."

Vander snickered.

"Now that my family's gone, Pooja, Ryoo, and Queen Beralline plan to assign me a handmaiden tomorrow morning. The Queen's own handmaidens will take turns serving me, which will give me a chance to learn the ways of the palace from the very best. At the same time, Captain Felja of the Queen's guards will send a substitute handmaiden to fill the empty spot in the Queen's retinue. The captain assured them this plan will provide valuable experience for her most promising handmaiden trainees.

"Pooja told me she planned to send her own great-granddaughter, Tismé, to attend me first. She's due to arrive at the eighth hour. I'll call Pooja at about the ninth hour—I don't want to call too early in case she's sleeping—and ask her if it's all right if Tismé goes off-world with us. She'll need to go along for propriety's sake, of course."

"Of course." If Vander was disappointed by this revelation, he hid it well.

"All right, I need some sleep. Be ready in the morning and I'll call you after I talk to Pooja."

Vander held out his hand again. "I'll walk you home."

Tienna took his hand with a shy smile, and they began to walk back to her quarters. They didn't say much along the way, but there was clearly an unspoken understanding now about their relationship. The embrace in the hanger could just have been friendly comfort, the walk in the gardens and dinner on the terrace could just have been familial, and Vander grabbing her hand earlier could just have been chalked up to excitement. But there was no mistaking the invitation in Vander's offer of his hand, nor her acceptance when she chose to take it. She felt as if she were floating through the hallways.

When they reached Tienna's quarters, they turned to face one another, and Vander took her other hand. "I can't wait to fly with you tomorrow."

"Me, either," Tienna responded, then looked down and blushed.

"Get some good sleep, all right?" he added. He let go of one of her hands in order to brush away a tendril of hair that had just fallen across her face. He tucked it behind her ear, then leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams."

"You too." Tienna couldn't think of anything more intelligent to say. Vander turned and walked away, but she watched him long enough to see him look back over his shoulder at her. She gave him a little wave, and he turned to walk backwards for a couple steps, tossing off a little two-fingered salute before turning back around.

*~*~*~*

Though Tienna initially had a hard time falling asleep with her mind full of the tender touch of Vander's lips on her skin, and therefore got less sleep than she would have liked, she was still up bright and early in the morning, the anticipation she felt over the trip waking her up prematurely.

Promptly at eight, Tienna's door chime rang, and she opened it to find her assigned handmaiden there. Tienna had not yet met Tismé, and at first sight, she thought a mistake had been made, for she was surprised to see a young lady with rich brown skin that looked much more like Jannah's than Pooja's. But she quickly remembered that over the course of three generations, this was quite possible through either genetics or adoption, and of course Tismé would need to share Queen Berraline's skin tone, as all handmaidens were trained to serve as decoys if necessary.

"Milady Tienna, I am Tismé. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well. Please come in." She gestured into her chambers.

After getting acquainted with Tismé, the handmaiden offered to help Tienna dress and do her hair, but today's ensemble wasn't going to require much work, as she would be attired simply and practically for the space voyage. Tienna dressed herself in a casual but well-cut traveling suit with a cropped jacket, but she did allow Tismé help her with her hair. Tienna only wanted it done in a fairly simple flipped braid that would hang down her back, but it was much easier to have Tismé do it than to try to weave the braid behind her own head. The handmaiden's expert hands formed the braid quickly and flawlessly.

Tienna spent the rest of the time until the ninth hour figuring out the best way to dodge their specific destination in her conversation with the Pooja. But she knew she could not simply take off and leave the planet without letting someone know of their plans and asking permission to take Tismé.

When Pooja answered her call, Tienna hoped she looked perfectly composed. "Good morning, Tienna," her older relative greeted her cheerfully. "How are you doing today?"

"I am doing very well, thank you, Aunt Pooja." Pooja wasn't really her aunt, but she had congenially told Tienna to call her that for simplicity's sake. "Tismé arrived at eight and has already done a great job with my hair."

"I am glad to hear it, dear. Tismé is a wonderful girl."

"Yes. Speaking of Tismé, I was wondering if it was all right for her to accompany me on an off-world trip. I know that I have two free days before I start attending Queen Beralline's court, and since I just received a new ship as a gift from my family, Vander Dameron and I would like to take it out and explore a little bit. Vander's an exceptional pilot, by the way; he's a competitive racer, in fact. So I thought I'd let you know we were leaving so no one worries about our whereabouts. And of course I wanted to make sure Tismé is allowed to come along."

"Hm." Pooja was thoughtful. "Are you sure you wish to go out on a pleasure cruise instead of using your last few days of vacation to become more acquainted with the palace and Theed? You're a grown woman, of course, Tienna, and can decide for yourself. But if I may suggest, you might find that it serves you better in the days to come."

Tienna felt a pang of guilt, knowing Pooja was correct, but she quickly justified her choice by telling herself that she was doing something that might turn out to be valuable to Naboo.

"I'd be happy to study some maps of Theed and layouts of the palace on the way just to make sure I really have it down. We're taking a four hour hyperspace jump—Vander says there's a spectacular accretion disc in the Expansion Region, so we're going to go see it. There should be plenty of downtime to learn the maps."

"All right, dear. I'll have my secretary send you the detailed maps of Theed palace that aren't available to the public. Now, regarding Tismé, I'll have to get official permission from the Queen and Captain Felja for Tismé to leave. Please log your destination in the palace register so they know the details of the request."

"I will do that right away. Thank you so much, Aunt Pooja!" Tienna was ecstatic that the conversation had gone so well. "Vander and I will go prep the ship now, so just call me on my communicator when you get an answer."

"All right. Have a relaxing trip!"

"I will. Goodbye, Aunt Pooja."

"Goodbye, Tienna."

*~*~*~*

Vander came by Tienna's quarters to walk with her to the ship, and Tismé followed, carrying two small bags. Though it wasn't appropriate to hold hands while they walked this time, Tienna enjoyed just being near Vander. He was wearing sturdy khaki trousers and a simple deep purple button-down shirt, but they complimented his masculine form exceptionally well, especially as he had left the top button of his shirt loose and rolled up his sleeves, revealing arms that were obviously in good physical shape.

Before leaving her quarters, Tienna had logged their destination and requested fuel, so refueling droids were already servicing her ship by the time Tienna, Vander, and Tismé reached it. "Such a beauty!" Vander exclaimed again as they approached the stylish vessel.

As Tienna unlocked the ship and extended the entrance ramp, the lead service droid approached her. "Your ship is refueled, my lady."

"Thank you, M9." They entered the ship and powered it on, then Vander eagerly began going through the pre-flight status checks. Tienna was happy to leave it to him. While she stood in the cockpit, her communicator chimed, alerting her that she had received a message from Pooja. Tienna cheered silently as she listened to Pooja inform her that Captain Felja and the Queen had approved her request to take Tismé along.

"We've got permission to take Tismé," Tienna told Vander. We're ready to go as soon as you're cleared for takeoff."

"Roger," he replied with an irrepressible grin. "You know how much I love to fly, but it is your ship. Do you want the helm?"

"Yeah, I do want to be the one to take her out," she admitted. "You can be the one to bring her home," she offered with a grin.

"Deal!" He smiled, shifted over into the co-pilot's seat, and began to strap in.

Tienna strapped into the pilot's seat as Tismé got situated in one of the jump seats. As soon as flight control gave the the go-ahead, she moved carefully out onto the tarmac, then took to the sky.

*~*~*~*

Once they were in hyperspace, Tienna, Vander, and Tismé unlatched their safety restraints. "You may do as you please, Tismé," Tienna informed her handmaiden.

"Thank you, milady. I believe I will fetch my datapad and read a book in the common room." She departed to do just that.

"Have you thought about what you're going to name this beaut?" Vander asked, running his hands over the console with reverence.

"Some, but nothing seems right so far."

"You have some time to think about it. A ship should always have just the right name." Vander stood up and beckoned Tienna to come with him out of the cockpit. "There's a status monitor in the common room. It'll be more comfortable to pass the time there."

Tismé emerged from Tienna's suite (where she also would be staying, in the handmaiden's chamber), sat down in a comfortable chair, and began reading.

"I'm going to get my maps to study," Tienna announced, then retrieved her own datapad from her quarters. When she returned, Vander was already sitting down at the end of one of the two couches in the room, and he patted the seat next to him when he saw her. She smiled and sat down close to him. He put one arm around her shoulders, and she looked up at him and smiled quickly before turning her attention back to her datapad.

"What maps are you studying?"

"Maps of Theed and the palace. Pooja thought I ought to do that since I was deciding to spend my last two days in deep space rather than familiarizing myself better with my surroundings."

"Makes sense." For awhile, Vander looked on, and they occasionally made comments to one another about interesting points on the map. But as time went by and Tienna soaked in the pleasure of being snuggled next to him, she found it hard to stay interested in the maps. She wanted to find out more about Vander. Eventually she put the maps down.

"Tell me when you first knew you wanted to be a pilot," she ventured to ask. "When did your parents start giving you lessons?"

"First, ever since I can remember, and second, before I can remember." Both of them chuckled. "My parents were always letting me sit on their laps in our ship. Sometimes when I was young, I would ask my dad if we could go visit the ship. He would take me there and just tell me about everything and explain it without actually flying anywhere. So when I finally was allowed to do some actual flying, I knew exactly what to do. My dad always tells me how much it meant to him that his mom, my grandma Shara, did the same for him, even taking him flying on her lap. She died when he was eight, so I never met her. She was a hero in the Rebellion against the Empire, though."

After making their hyperlane change at Kalinda, the three of them put together lunch from all the non-perishable supplies that the Jedi Academy cooks had stocked the galley with. Afterward, Tienna and Vander took up their previous positions on the couch, and Vander ended up telling Kara all about what his own parents did after the war.

Poe had never really wanted to be in command of everything, but had merely had it thrust upon him by circumstances and Leia's trust. All he really wanted to do was go back to flying as a squadron leader in his beloved X-wing. But he had needed to stay on as a leader to speak for the Resistance during the process of forming the Galactic Union and reforming the armed forces, and by the end of that process, he'd become too popular a public figure for the GU to risk putting him back on the front lines of mop-up operations against the remnants of the First Order.

In the end, a new wing of the military had been created—the Defense Force's Relief Corps. It was a branch dedicated to protecting the GU's humanitarian convoys, rebuilding projects, refugee resettlement efforts, relief workers, and so on—and Poe had been put in charge of it. They agreed that from this position, he could still fly missions, and even though it was less dangerous than the front lines, he still saw his share of action thanks to assorted nefarious forces who desired to pirate relief supplies or exploit desperate populations for their own gain. All in all, Poe found the work very rewarding.

After the First Battle of Exegol, Zorii had been at loose ends thanks to the fact that when the Star Destroyer _Derriphan_ had destroyed one of the rocky planets in the Kijimi system, she'd lost a valuable secret warehouse and outpost, dealing the Spice Runners of Kijimi a serious blow. After helping the Resistance defeat the Final Order, she'd stayed on with the Resistance, eventually confiding in Poe that she had become dissatisfied with her way of life leading a criminal cartel, but had never been able to find a way to get out. With the destruction of her hidden base and her decision to help the Resistance, she had her escape route.

Though Zorii had been angry with Poe at first for leaving her all those years ago, it wasn't long before she found herself forgiving him against her will, and they soon fell back into their old relationship. They'd married quickly, and Vander had come along not long after. They were pretty good parents, he told Tienna, but they were not exactly the domestic types, so in addition to their age, he figured that was the reason he'd remained an only child.

Though Zorii had been a complete novice as a pilot when Poe first gave her lessons back when they were sixteen years old, in the intervening years, experience had made her into a very good one. When Vander was young, Zorii had accepted a commission with the Relief Corps as well, and her knowledge of the criminal underworld proved very helpful when those unsavory elements tried to interfere in the GU's efforts towards peace through humanitarian work.

Though Tienna would have been happy to simply stay next to Vander for a lot longer, relaxing and conversing, eventually the countdown for coming out of hyperspace drew close to zero.


	10. Event Horizon

"Coming out of hyperspace," Tienna announced from the pilot's chair, and the mottled blue of hyperspace resolved and gave way to realspace. In front of them sat a black hole, barely visible at the center of its accretion disc.

"Wow!" Tienna exclaimed at the incredible sight. She was soon torn away from the vista in front of them, though, by alert tones and sensor readings being displayed in front of her.

"That accretion disc is sure putting out a lot of electromagnetic radiation," she told Vander with mild alarm.

"That's to be expected," he answered as he adjusted some settings. "We'll route more power to the shields to compensate."

"They're fluctuating," Tienna continued, her concern level undiminished.

"The radiation does that. But if we have them on high enough power, they'll hold even when they weaken."

"All right." She took Vander's word for it. "But will the EM radiation prevent us from doing sensor sweeps? And how can we expect to find anything as small as the wardrobe cases in all that?" She gestured at the debris field.

"Sensors will be limited by the radiation, no doubt. But you find a needle in a haystack by moving one piece of hay at a time, so let's just start the sensor sweeps and see what happens."

"Milady, if I may ask," Tismé broke in politely, "what are you looking for?"

Tienna and Vander looked at each other. Vander would give her the choice of whether or not to explain.

"Ah...I know it sounds silly, but we've been researching scientific theories, and we think it's possible Queen Padmé's lost wardrobe could be pulled out of hyperspace by the gravitational force of a black hole."

"Hmm," was Tismé's only answer, her skepticism evident.

Vander set the sensors on their highest power, then locked in a course to circumnavigate the black hole. Even on full sublight speed, they'd be hard-pressed to accomplish it in a day. It was a truly enormous circumference, and they were very far away from it.

Tienna looked at a display screen and saw their position marked on a map of the area. The black hole was ringed by two red circles. The circles were labeled "event horizon" and "critical limit."

"Vander," she said, "I know the event horizon is the point beyond which nothing, even light, can escape the black hole's gravity. But what is a 'critical limit'? Is it where our shields fail from the radiation?"

Vander swiveled in his chair and looked where Tienna was pointing. "No, the critical limit is our ship's individual event horizon. As you get closer to the actual event horizon, the power needed to escape the black hole's gravity increases. Beyond that line, our ship's capabilities wouldn't be great enough for us to escape."

Tienna shuddered. "OK, so we stay far away. Got it."

Tienna and Vander stayed in the cockpit for the next hour watching not just the spectacular view but also the sensor readouts. Those readouts, however, were pretty boring. They could not got a lock on any of the debris so far away.

"Let's move in closer," Vander suggested. "We need to scan closer to the debis field, but the EM radiation is making that impossible from here."

"I don't know." She chewed her lip.

"Won't the EM radiation interference be worse?"

"Yes, but we'll be closer, so we'll still be able to pick up more anyway."

Tismé had stayed with them in the cockpit but had been so quiet they'd forgotten her presence. "Milady, I don't believe that is a wise choice. It's too dangerous."

"If we stay away from the critical limit, we'll be ok," Vander reassured her. He took the ship in closer, then pointed at a status screen. "This indicator goes from green to yellow to orange as we approach the critical limit. Red indicates we've reached it." As the ship flew inward, the indicator flashed yellow and Vander angled the ship back onto a circular path. "Now, I'll just level out here and stay in the yellow. No problem. See, the sensors are already picking up more."

This was true, but it was also true that the sensors were picking up more because the ship was closer to more of the debris, and thus, there were more objects out there that they potentially had to dodge. And the ship's systems, including shields, were fluctuating even more wildly than before.

But Tienna wanted to find those wardrobe cases.

"Vander's an excellent pilot—one of the best in the galaxy," she told Tismé. "I trust him to keep us safe."

It was rather surprising, but during the ensuing hours, the sensors did actually pick up unusual objects from time to time. There was a lot of space debris out there in the galaxy. This far into deep space, the debris was ancient, and it was hard to make out what it might once have been. Nothing resembled the wardrobe cases.

Eventually, when nothing dangerous happened, even Tismé relaxed and busied herself with her datapad in the common room.

Whenever the sensors showed nothing of interest and Tienna and Vander grew bored, they conversed with each other about their lives, their homes, their families, their education, and their training—Jedi training for Tienna and flight training for Vander. Vander regaled her with a long account of the Junior Sabers competition he had won, which Tienna actually found interesting this time around. She remembered him winning it a couple years ago—of course Grandpa Han had been following the entire thing with great interest since he loved racing and used to be in charge of the Five Sabers and Junior Sabers once upon a time—but she hadn't been all that interested in racing then, or in Vander either, really. He was just a "cousin" who lived far away and made occasional visits, and at the time, she had had more important things to think about, like her Challenges of the Mind, Heart, and Body, which she had to undertake to prove herself worthy to be the heir to the Alderaanian throne. When Vander was done with his account of the competition, she told him all about her Challenges.

Eventually, the hours lengthened into what would have been nighttime on Naboo. Tismé entered the cockpit with a yawn.

"Milady, I need to get some sleep. You should, too."

Tienna glanced at Vander. "You really should," he agreed. "We can take turns, and after you get some sleep, I will." He turned to Tismé. "Go ahead, Tismé; Tienna will be right in. I want to go over the sensor sweeps and our schedule for tomorrow with Tienna before she turns in."

Tismé looked torn—torn between her duty as a chaperone and her duty as a servant to do what she was asked.

"I'll only be a few minutes," Tienna assured her.

"Yes, Milady," she replied, then exited the cockpit.

Vander craned his neck to watch Tismé, and once the door slid closed on Tienna's stateroom, Vander quickly stood, took Tienna's hand, and pulled her up out of her seat. He led her off to the side of the open cockpit door and gently turned her into a corner where they would be hidden from view even if Tismé unexpectedly re-emerged from the master suite.

His face close, Vander put one hand on Tienna's cheek, and she leaned into it, a strange and powerful current of pleasure running down every nerve in her body. "I've been thinking all day about how beautiful you look," he complimented her softly.

She considered her simple attire and hairstyle. "Really," she replied sardonically. Her heart was beating fast and she was feeling breathless even though she hadn't done any physical activity.

Vander put his other arm around her waist and drew her a little closer. "You're always beautiful."

Tienna mustered a barely audible "thank you" while looking into his eyes, which were studying her own.

"I only have one more day left before I have to leave you—much to my chagrin." He moved the hand that still rested on the side of her face and traced her lips lightly with his thumb. "I'm afraid I won't get another chance away from prying eyes or security cameras."

Tienna's insides were a wreck, but she wouldn't have it any other way. His face was getting closer every second and she wanted nothing more in the universe than for him to kiss her. He gently tipped her face up and she felt his breath on her lips, her own breaths erratic.

She closed her eyes, and then he was kissing her. It was soft and sweet, yet heady, passionate in its tenderness, and as Tienna felt Vander pull her body closer, the kiss gradually deepened by mutual longing. It held a power like nothing she'd ever experienced.

Eventually one or both of them came to their senses, realizing Tismé was expecting Tienna to be in her suite, and they parted reluctantly. Vander smiled his devastatingly handsome smile. "Wow."

"Wow indeed."

Vander spoke again as he put his other arm around her waist and continued to hold her. "I care for you a great deal, Tienna. I want to be by your side, but of course I can't, not now. And honestly, I don't know when. You're committed to Naboo for four years, and I'm committed to flight school and then serving in the Defense Forces. It wouldn't be fair to extract any commitments from you, but will you promise me just one thing—to give me a chance? I'll come see you whenever I have any opportunity, and you can message me anytime, day or night. I'll answer you as soon as I can. Just don't forget me," he pleaded. "I don't want this to be only a one month thing that happened and then was over and done with. I'll find a way for us."

"I couldn't possibly forget you, Vander. And I don't want to, anyway. I'd like to see what we can make of this."

He sighed in relief. "Thank you." He kissed her again then, but it didn't last long, because they both remembered what Tienna was supposed to be doing.

"Tismé," they both groaned quietly at the same time, then chuckled. Vander gave her one last peck, and Tienna swiftly left the cockpit and entered her own stateroom.

*~*~*~*

After six hours of sleep, Tienna was still extremely tired, but she knew she needed to relieve Vander. As she and Tismé entered the cockpit, Vander turned around in his seat. "Ah, there you are. I know I'm supposed to sleep, but I'm not sure I should. The sensors are fluctuating more, and they even went out a few minutes ago."

"Sounds like we need to fall back," Tienna observed as she sat down in the copilot's chair, clearly worried.

"I think so. It'll take us longer to complete the whole circumference, but—"

"Vander!!" Tienna screamed and pointed out the window. "An asteroid!" A very large chunk of rock was headed straight for them at a high rate of speed.

Vander immediately swiveled his chair back forward and grabbed the controls. With expert reflexes born of countless hours flying, he turned the ship, gunned the engines, and the asteroid hurtled past, their ship unharmed. Unfortunately, Vander had needed to turn the ship in the wrong direction to avoid the asteroid, and they were now heading inward towards the black hole.

"Why didn't the sensors alert us??" Tienna cried.

"It looks like they went down again," Vander reported grimly as he attempted to wrestle the ship back in the right direction. Due to the radiation and the gravitational pull, the ship responded sluggishly.

Tienna dashed forward and plopped into the copilot's seat just as an alert sounded. "Shields down!" she called out, panicked.

But almost as soon as she voiced the warning, the shields re-engaged feebly as the status display flickered. "Back up for the moment. The radiation is stronger here, and it's doing a number on all the systems."

Through the Force, Tienna felt spikes of terror emanating from Tismé. Tienna darted a glance backwards and saw that the frightened handmaiden had strapped herself into the jumpseat using the full harness. Tismé said nothing, either because of her training to remain calm under pressure or because she knew that saying something was pointless when Vander and Tienna were already fully aware of the seriousness of the situation.

Through her own anxiety, Tienna felt a wave of pity for her poor distant cousin. She stood up out of her chair and walked over to Tismé. Her parents had taught her a skill that would come in handy right now. "It's going to be ok," she told Tismé, then waved her hand over Tismé's head, and the girl lapsed into unconsciousness. When she came to—provided they were all still in one piece—Tienna would tell her she'd fainted. It was entirely believable under the circumstances. Since the handmaiden was fastened in with the full restraint, she was as safe as she could be at the moment. Tienna had to swallow a bark of dark laughter at the idea of Tismé being in any way safe right now.

Vander glanced back for a fraction of a second. "She pass out?"

"In a manner of speaking," Tienna responded wryly. "Tell you about it later." Just as she sat down, the status indicator informed them the shields were down again. "Shields down!" she exclaimed.

There was an ominous clunk against the hull and the ship jinked. "Strap in!" Vander ordered.

Moments after Tienna latched the harness, she was very glad she had done so. She saw Vander pull hard on the yoke, and once again they were changing directions to avoid something very large. In the short time since their near-collision with the asteroid, Vander had managed to wrench the ship most of the way around, but now this new object had forced them in the wrong direction again.

Tienna heard and felt an ominous crunch from the rear of the ship, and instantly klaxons went off.

"We've lost a thruster!" Vander shouted.

A change on one of the display screens caught Tienna's eye. It was the one showing the event horizon and the critical limit. The computer had readjusted the critical limit based on their new, diminished thruster capacity. They were frighteningly close to it now. The status indicator was orange.

Just when they thought nothing could get worse, the display screens themselves started flickering. If the EM radiation took all their systems down, there would be nothing they could do to avoid their fate.

Perhaps it was Tienna's Jedi training finally kicking in, or maybe things were so bad she couldn't even panic, but she remembered in that moment that what she ought to be doing was banishing fear—because decisions made in fear were nearly always poor—and tuning in to the Force.

While Vander wrestled with the ship, Tienna took a deep breath and gathered the Force around her. She calmed her mind and listened. And the Force showed her a memory.

"The boosters!!" Tienna cried. "Remember the ones Grandpa Han installed as part of his modifications? Rose told me they were of dubious legality because they make the engines run too hot, and they should only be used as a last resort. I think this counts!"

"Yes!" Vander exulted. "Bring them online! And Tienna? If there's any way you can use the Force to help us, now would be the time."

Vander's comment stunned Tienna for a second. Here she was the Jedi, and it was Vander reminding her of what she should have been thinking about this whole time. Looking down at the console, she could see that the display screens were fluctuating but holding, and she brought the boosters online.

"Boosters are ready when you are! I'm going to use the Force to push against the gravity that's holding us here. When I give the signal, turn on the boosters. The boosters don't last long, so I want to make sure we maximize our opportunity."

Vander was gritting his teeth and bringing all his skill to bear on steering the ship. "Almost around...almost there...all right, on your mark!"

Tienna was reaching deeper into the Force than she ever thought possible. She gave it everything she had, all her strength, all the concentration she could muster. She turned her seat around to focus her energy, and when she felt she could gather no more, she shouted, "Punch it!!"

As Vander fired the boosters, Tienna pushed against the gravitational force of the black hole. She pushed until she had nothing left to give. The boosters roared and the ship vibrated as slowly it broke gravity's grip.

"We're making progress!" Vander called out. "Slowly, but we're accelerating!"

As they moved away from the event horizon, they heard something like a spray of very hard pebbles against the hull. "I don't even want to know what that was," Vander remarked dryly. Fortunately, it wasn't long before the shields came back online, overcoming the decreasing EM radiation. The sensors returned shortly thereafter.

"Set the coordinates for Kalinda in the navicomputer," Vander instructed as he maintained his white-knuckled grip on the yoke. As soon as we're far enough away, we'll make the jump."

Tienna complied quickly, then watched the navicomputer's screen intently. The status bar was red, meaning the gravitational force was still too great. The instant it went green, they'd make the jump.

It seemed to take forever to reach the jump threshold, and at first Tienna considered overriding all the electronic and manual safeties on the hyperdrive, but as the gravitational pull decreased, they traveled each successive kilometer just a bit faster than the last, and she knew it was only a matter of time before they were in the clear. Eventually the indicator flashed green, and Tienna pulled the hyperdrive lever. The stars elongated as the crippled ship jumped, and soon they were surrounded by the mottled blue of hyperspace. She had never been so happy to see anything in her entire life.

Tienna and Vander both fell back in their seats, utterly exhausted. Overwrought with all that had just happened, Tienna began to cry. "My ship, my beautiful ship! It's...it's...in horrible shape, and we didn't even find anything!"

"I'm sorry, Tienna. So, so sorry." Vander's voice held a great deal of remorse.

Tienna didn't know whether to be grateful that his piloting skills had surely saved their lives, or livid because it had been his idea to bring them in closer to the black hole, increasing their risk. Eventually livid won out.

"If you hadn't brought us in so close, this wouldn't have happened! Were you so confident in your piloting skills that you thought you could handle anything?"

Vander's eyes flashed. "Look, Princess, it was your idea to come here, and you know we never would have found anything—even if there was something to find—if we had stayed so far out!"

"Why didn't you head back outward the moment the sensors first went down?"

"Hindsight is perfect, but even as things were, it was only rotten luck that the first asteroid forced us in the wrong direction just when it did! We would have been fine otherwise."

"You don't know that!"

Vander sighed. " _All_ this bickering is hypothetical. You know, I thought Jedi were supposed to find serenity in the Force and maintain even temperaments."

"Augh!" It rubbed her the wrong way that he was entirely right about that.

"You should go get some sleep," she commanded. "I can handle the jump from Kalinda, but if some other emergency arises, I'll be sure to wake you!"

"As you wish." He brushed past her and left the cockpit.

Tienna moaned and put her head in her hands for long minutes. Eventually she heard Tismé coming to. Stars! There was no way she could keep this misadventure under wraps. Tismé would be sure to report it all to Queen Beralline and Captain Felja.

As Tismé regained consciousness, she straightened with a jerk and a wave of anxiety. Tienna got out of her seat and crouched in front of her. "It's ok," she soothed. "We're safely in hyperspace on our way back to Naboo."

The handmaiden visibly relaxed. "What happened?"

"You fainted. I'm not surprised under the circumstances."

"I don't faint."

"Have you ever been in this situation before?"

Tismé shook her head hesitantly.

"See? And we're safe. Vander's an excellent pilot, as I said. He got us out." Tienna realized then, as she told Tismé only the partial truth, that she had a slight advantage. Only she and Vander had any idea of how bad things had gotten and that the reason they were alive was illegal boosters and the Force. She took a deep breath. The only sensible thing to do was own up and go straight to Pooja.


	11. Grounded

As Tienna, Vander, and Tismé disembarked from the ship, Tienna felt a knot of dread in the pit of her stomach from the thought of looking at the outside of the ship and seeing just how badly damaged it was.

When she finally got up the courage to look, it was as she feared: a large dent in the port side, severe damage to a thruster, scorching and scratches from superheated particles that had sprayed the hull, and a few more minor dings and scrapes.

She wanted to cry again but didn't. The Alderaanians had a saying, "It's no use crying over spilled Toniray," and she supposed that could do for a Jedi saying as well. She had to keep moving forward.

Vander turned and faced her. "Do you want me to go with you to Pooja's?"

"No, I'll do it myself. You might as well go home."

Vander looked crestfallen, and Tienna had some sympathy for him. She decided not to yell at him again, even though at the moment she just wanted to berate him for being an irresponsible flyboy. She hadn't forgotten her Jedi training completely, however, and she knew that she shouldn't let her profound disappointment control her actions. "Take care," she said gently. "I hope you find flight school to be everything you want."

"It won't be." He looked into her eyes. "Because what I want most will still be on Naboo."

Tienna stared at him for a few seconds, wrestling with herself. She wasn't sure what to say. She wasn't sure what she _wanted_ to say. "Safe journey," she finally told him, with a softness in her voice that hadn't been there since their kiss on the ship. "I'll talk to you later. When I'm in a better frame of mind."

He nodded silently and she turned away.

*~*~*~*

"You're telling me you took a trip to a black hole with the express purpose not of taking a common, remote sightseeing cruise as I had assumed, but of getting close in order to scan the vicinity for Padmé's lost wardrobe, whereupon you let Evander Dameron take you further into the danger zone, and in the end, your new ship sustained heavy damage, and you put my great-granddaughter's life at risk along with your own?"

Tienna looked down, shamefaced from Pooja's summary of events. "Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry."

"This is not what I expected of you, Tienna. Your parents, Governor Tolline, Drs. Ar'shem and Letta Kent—in short, everyone I spoke with—felt you were mature and accomplished beyond your years."

Tienna's face burned. "I wanted to do something good for Naboo and for my family. I'm so sick of how everything was taken from us and destroyed. I was angry about what happened to the wardrobe; it's all so wrong. I wanted to make it right."

"I may not be a Jedi teacher at your parents' academy, but I do believe that Jedi are supposed to govern their emotions with their reason in order to make better decisions?"

First Vander, now Pooja. They were both right in what they pointed out about the Jedi ways that she, the actual Jedi, hadn't followed. What had gotten into her? She'd never been like this before.

"Yes, ma'am."

"You could have waited till you were better established here, then asked the assistance of the Royal Science Academy, whose scientists you could have conferred with and whose vessels and pilots you might have used." She paused. "You also ought to be wary of the advice of a boy who's trying to impress you."

Tienna gaze snapped up.

Pooja smiled in spite of the circumstances. "Yes, anyone could see he only has eyes for you."

"He just wanted to help me."

"Yes, and win you over too. Even if he wasn't consciously thinking that way. Always be aware of people's motivations—or possible motivations, or even subconscious motivations. That is a key element of politics, you know.

"Yes, ma'am."

Pooja sighed. "It also seems you forgot who you are. You are Princess and a Jedi; you could have ordered Vander to move the ship back to a safer path."

Tienna began to protest. "But Vander convinced me it was safe. He's an amazing pilot; he won the Junior Sabers racing competition."

"I don't care if he won the Five Sabers or made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs," Pooja replied, referencing her cousin-in-law Han Solo's now infamous achievement—and boast. "You still don't get to deflect responsibility for using your own judgment."

As Pooja said this, something Vander told Tienna back at the museum struck her right between the eyes. _Everyone is ultimately responsible for his or her own choices._ Even when influenced and when others are culpable as well. Even when under orders. Even when one's rightful choices are unfairly taken away and few are left. Even with a blaster to the head, a person could still choose to die if they felt the reason was important enough. Unless shot with a slicer dart and controlled by nanotech, in almost every situation, every sentient being has choices they can make.

Tienna resigned herself to the truth of the insight and took responsibility. "I understand." She really did, now.

"So then..." Pooja mused thoughtfully, her finger tapping her lips. "We must decide to whom and whether to report this. I do not believe the Queen and Captain Felja need to be told."

Tienna's eyes widened at this surprising declaration, but she took the canny woman's advice from moments ago and deduced that Pooja had motivations of her own. As she and Ryoo were Tienna's sponsors, if word of this incident got out at court—or, heaven forbid, to the public—it would reflect poorly on House Naberrie. That would never be a good thing, but it was especially important given that Ryoo's great-granddaughter Niyaé was a chosen Princess from her home province, and rumor had it Niyaé would be a strong candidate for Queen in a few election cycles. Additionally, Pooja was likely trying to preserve the reputation of the fledgling Jedi Order.

Pooja continued. "There is no breach of planetary security, no nefarious intent, no destruction of government property, and I believe"—she arched her eyebrow and looked pointedly at Tienna—"that nothing like this will ever happen again."

"No, ma'am, it certainly won't."

"So in sum, I believe it can officially be chalked up to an unfortunate run-in with space debris. I will see to it that your ship is discreetly repaired. You can pay me back over time from your expense account. In return, you will turn your ship's security key and passcode over to me, and there won't be any more flying until such a time as I decide. I expect you to devote yourself fully to your studies and duties, starting tomorrow morning."

"I will meet all your expectations, Aunt Pooja." Tienna might have taken offense at Pooja's decision to ground an adult woman and Jedi Knight, but she knew that she was here at Pooja's gracious invitation, so it was fair. She would work hard at redeeming herself.

"I do think that your parents should be told, along with young Mr. Dameron's, however."

No! Tienna thought, dismayed. But she had no grounds to object. As the heads of the Jedi Order and the Academy, her parents did have a right to know.

"Tismé, please remain with Tienna until you are due to return to Queen Beralline."

"Yes, great-grandmother."

Tienna and Tismé returned to Tienna's quarters, where Tienna triple-checked that everything was in order for tomorrow, then went to bed early and fell asleep immediately.

*~*~*~*

Poe and Zorii sat in the living area of their Coruscant apartment, looking at their son sitting opposite them. "I realize," Poe began, "that I have no personal moral high ground from which to criticize—"

"—nor do I," Zorii interjected.

"—but be that as it may, I believe we have you beat when it comes to life experience and learning from it. And therefore we are denying your request for funds to help pay for Tienna's ship repair."

Poe held up a hand before the coming objection could spring from his son's lips. You have some of your own money saved up, don't you? The winnings from your various races?"

"I was saving up for my own ship!"

"So you make a choice."

Vander ground his teeth. "The GU would give you anything you asked for."

"I prefer to save string-pulling and calling in favors for something much more important and necessary. No one ever said cleaning up after your messes was easy."

He looked at Zorii and then back at Vander. "I should know."

*~*~*~*

The day after Tienna's return from the black hole, she received a communications alert from Ahch-To. Steeling herself for what might be coming, she answered the call and was first surprised, then mortified to see a holo not of her parents, but of her Grandpa Han. How many people were going to know of her humiliation?

"Hey kid," he greeted her in his own inimitable style.

"Hi Grandpa."

"No sense in asking how you're doing, so I'll cut to the chase. I probably hold records for doing some of the stupidest and most dangerous stuff in the galaxy, most of them in a starship. So you know I've been there."

Tienna hung her head.

"You, though," Han continued, "are a well-behaved overachieving firstborn not used to screwing up. So for you it probably feels worse."

Tienna lifted her lips on one side in an expression that said he'd hit on the truth.

"Everyone screws up sometime, kid. Everyone. Now, don't get me wrong—I'm not saying that's an excuse for not trying to do your best, and it doesn't mean you don't have to take responsibility. But here's what you've gotta do. Once you've done what you can to make it right, don't keep beating yourself up about it." Tienna met his eyes and he smiled. "Yes, I know you well, my first grandchild. Learn from it and move on. Let it be your teacher, don't let it own you."

"All right, grandpa."

"That's my girl. I love you, Princess. Don't ever forget it."

"I know." She smiled. "I won't."

"The same goes for your parents, but they thought it might go over better coming from me."

She smiled again. She had the best grandpa.

"Oh, and one more thing."

"Yes, grandpa?"

"Give the reckless flyboy a chance."

*~*~*~*

The next day, Vander recorded a holomessage for Tienna. It was the middle of the night in Theed, so there would be no conversation. That was on purpose; he wasn't sure he could handle what she might say. He hoped she wasn't going to end their fledgling relationship over a well-intentioned mistake, even if it was an expensive and embarrassing one. Then again, he'd almost gotten her killed, so he figured she'd be justified if she did. He just wasn't sure what to make of her parting words.

Vander's monetary savings added up to seventy-five percent of what he needed for the ship he wanted. The Junior Sabers purse had been nice, and he'd won or placed high in some other less-prestigious races too, where there was always a little prize money. But he'd made up his mind. After this, he'd be farther from his goal, but what did it matter? He was leaving for basic training soon and then he'd be flying the GU's ships for a good long while anyway. It was worth it if it showed her how much he wanted to make it up to her.

*~*~*~*

As morning dawned on Naboo, Tienna noticed that a message from Vander was waiting in her queue. She was already planning on messaging him that day, but now she'd see what he had to say first. She pressed play.

"Tienna, I want to tell you again how sorry I am for how how the black hole trip turned out. I'm sorry for not being more cautious and keeping us at a safer distance. I really thought it would be ok, but I should have asked myself, 'What's the worst that could happen?' Growing up, my mom instructed me about a million times to ask myself that whenever making a questionable choice, so I don't really have an excuse.

"I asked my parents to help pay for the ship repairs, but they said no—something about cleaning up my own messes. So I'm sending a lot less than I hoped, but a little something should be in your bank account by the time you get this. I hope you don't think I'm trying to buy back your affection or anything like that. I just wanted to take some responsibility and help you pay off the repairs so you aren't in hock to Pooja for the entire four years you're there.

"I'm leaving for basic training in a couple weeks, so I'll be pretty busy and probably won't be allowed many messages for awhile. I already miss you, but I'll be thinking of you often and counting the days until I can see you again. Hope you're doing great there in the Queen's court. Send me a message, all right?" The holo-Vander paused very briefly, looking like he was about to say something else, then settled on, "Okay, bye." The holo winked out.

Tienna was already crying. She was ashamed at how she'd treated Vander, letting her anger get the best of her, which no Jedi should ever do. And it wasn't just her anger at Vander, but it was also her anger at _herself _and her frustration with the whole situation which she had projected onto him. He was taking responsibility, just as she'd realized she needed to do the other night at Pooja's house.__

__Truthfully, she missed him too. Memories of him pulling her into a corner of her ship's cockpit for a clandestine kiss flooded her. She wished with all her heart that she could feel his actual arms around her right now. _Give the reckless flyboy a chance_ , Grandpa Han had said._ _

__Suddenly curious, she signed in to her bank account and discovered that a rather large deposit had been made from a financial institution on Coruscant. She didn't know the total price for the repairs yet, but she estimated the desposit would cover approximately a quarter of the cost._ _

__She closed her eyes. Vander had sent her a significant chunk of the cost of the repairs, and he'd said his parents wouldn't give him anything, so that meant it had to have been his own money, probably from racing prizes. She turned on her holorecorder and got ready to send a message—and an apology._ _

____

*~*~*~*

Over the months that followed, Tienna was as good as her word to Pooja, paying close attention in her university classes as well as meticulously concentrating on all the handmaidens taught her. She always showed up a little early for everything, and with the handmaidens' help, she never had a hair out of place. She did not neglect her Jedi training, being sure to meditate, read passages from her digital copies of the ancient texts, and do weapons practice regularly. She bought only what was absolutely necessary so that she could pay Pooja back for the repairs as quickly as possible. It helped that she wasn't buying any starship fuel.

She stayed vigilant in her observations when with the Queen at court, and it wasn't long before she was grasping the political currents of Naboo and getting the hang of how politics worked in real life. And for as much as she benefitted from this arrangement, she was also an enormous asset to Queen Beralline. It gave the Queen a good amount of cachet to have a Jedi Knight in her court, but more than that, Tienna could sense things in the Force that were very valuable for the Queen and her advisors to know.

Emperor Palpatine had done such a thorough job of scrubbing the Jedi from the galaxy's consciousness and records that seventy-five years after Order 66, most people had forgotten all that the Jedi used to do and what they had been capable of. Luke Skywalker's Jedi academy had been so tragically short-lived that it had not produced any full-fledged Jedi who went out into the galaxy to do their peace-keeping work. As a result, the officials, governors, dignitaries, and others Tienna came in contact with on Naboo, whether they were from Naboo or other planets, did not realize she could sense someone's emotions and intentions, catch occasional glimpses of the future, or know that certain things would happen just before they did.

This proved an enormous asset to Queen Beralline. Having thoroughly learned the handmaidens' system of subtle wordless communication which they used to signal the Queen and convey information to her and each other, Tienna could surreptitiously impart valuable information to the Queen. When she needed to communicate more than could be relayed through this system, she merely had to signal Beralline, and Beralline would find a way to call for a recess or a private conference with her advisors. In this way, she helped the Queen avoid various political snares and problems and make even more well-informed choices.

As an apprentice to the Queen, Tienna was a quick study. As a protector of the Queen, she actually had little to do, from a physical danger standpoint anyway. All sorts of devious people wanted to undermine the Queen to get their own way, but Tienna had encountered no one yet who wanted to do Beralline physical harm. Anyone who did was generally stopped by excellent royal security long before they could get close to Beralline. Still, Tienna remained alert.

By all measures, she was doing brilliantly. She was determined to prove herself. She had to.

For a whole bunch of reasons.


	12. Deeper Concerns

With Vander away at basic training and Tienna hard at work, conversations between them were impossible and messages back and forth were more infrequent than either of them would have liked. She savored every holo from him, and it felt like there was a painful little hole in her heart with him gone. She tried to cover it up with constant activity and distracted herself during her rare downtimes with calls to her family, especially her sisters. Her parents never said a word about the black hole trip.

Four months after that particular misadventure, Tienna received an invitation from Pooja to join her for tea. When she arrived, the genteel lady was in a much better humor than when they had last met here. Tienna felt as comfortable in Pooja's presence as she had back on Ahch-To.

"How are you, my dear?" Pooja asked Tienna as Pooja's handmaiden poured them tea.

"Tired, Aunt Pooja," Tienna found herself confessing.

"It's no wonder," Pooja replied as the handmaiden withdrew. "I've had reports from my acquaintances at court that you are comporting yourself with great dignity and skill and winning our Queen a fair amount of political renown."

"Thank you," Tienna replied politely and took a sip of the tea. It held a hint of citrus fruits, and combined with an added spoonful of _jaolin_ bee nectar, it was positively delicious. "I have done my best to prove myself and meet all your expectations."

"All my expectations have been met and exceeded thus far," Pooja assured her.

"I appreciate that."

"Now, as to exceeding my expectations—you're working too hard."

Tienna's eyebrows lifted. "What do you mean?"

"No one can keep up such a pace forever or she will burn out," Pooja explained. "If you are still trying to redeem yourself from the black hole debacle, consider yourself redeemed." She reached into an ornate trinket box on the accent table next to her and pulled out Tienna's ship's security key and handed it to her. "The repairs have been completed. You may fly again at your discretion, though I know you don't exactly have much chance for that at present."

Tienna took the key. "Thank you for your trust."

"You have earned it. Now, this is about more than my approbation, isn't it?"

Tienna hesitated, then nodded. There was something about Pooja that invited confidence. Pooja waited, giving Tienna time to answer.

"So much rests on me," she finally admitted. "The Jedi Order is finally emerging after six decades in the dark. Our reputation and numbers are fragile, especially since some have never accepted my father's involvement."

Tienna took another sip of tea before continuing. "And then there's the Alderaanians."

"Ah," Pooja said in understanding. "Let me see if I can put the picture together. Many years ago, when your grandmother Leia decided to stay in galactic-level politics, she suggested that the Alderaanians elect fellow Rebellion hero Evaan Verlaine as princess to lead them, which they did. Leia never gave up her royal title, but it was increasingly clear her son probably would not take up the mantle of governance of the Alderaanian people from Princess Verlaine. Besides that, Princess Verlaine was doing fine job.

"Then, the unthinkable happened. Senator Ransolm Casterfo revealed to the galaxy a recording made by Bail Organa in which the Viceroy admitted Leia was the daughter of Darth Vader. Though her career in the Senate was over, she was such a hero and had contributed so much to the galaxy that no one would have suggested she abdicate. However, the Alderaanians were mortified that one of the men chiefly responsible for the destruction of their entire world was in the bloodline of their royalty.

"When her son went to the dark side and was formally stripped of the heretofore symbolic title he held, the future of the leadership of the Alderaanians was in doubt, as Princess Verlaine never married or had children. The Alderaanians realized that a transition was upon them, and as it appeared the House of Organa was at an end, the proposal for an elected monarchy passed overwhelmingly, and in the process, they made Verlaine queen.

"Then came the end of the war and with it, Leia's death and Ben's redemption. During the unsettled year that followed, as the galaxy was trying to form the new Galactic Union, Queen Verlaine passed away. Suddenly things weren't so clear anymore. The Alderaanians could now elect their monarchy, but as it appeared Ben Solo was a completely changed man who had played a critical role in toppling the First Order, as evidenced perhaps most strongly by the fact that the greatest hero of the war, Rey Skywalker, had married him, the man who would have been their hereditary monarch could now be considered a candidate for the elected one.

"Some prominent Alderaanians supported giving him the title and returning to a hereditary monarchy, wanting to honor Bail, Breha, and Leia, and to hold on to traditions tightly, as they had lost so much else. But plenty were aghast that someone who had once led the First Order and was the grandson of one of the men who had destroyed their planet could possibly be given the position. The counter argument went that Darth Vader had destroyed enough, so he should not be given the power to destroy their cherished monarchy as well. If the people gave up the hereditary monarchy because of him, then they would be giving him more importance than heroes like Breha, Bail, Leia, and even Rey—who would become their next princess—all of whom deserved the honor of continuing the hereditary monarchy.

"For a year the ruling council went back and forth, being led in the interim by the Council Governor. Then you were born. There was something about you. Some who were hesitant to accept Ben finally changed their mind because they accepted you, seeing you as the unsullied granddaughter of Leia, a bringer hope. Others became more adamantly opposed to restoring the hereditary monarchy, saying that you, with your extremely powerful lineage and the blood of two dark side lords who helped create planet-destroying superweapons in your veins, could become the worst of all, and the Alderaanians could ill afford that.

"Finally a vote was called. It was close. The motion to reinstate the hereditary monarchy of the House of Organa passed by just one vote. Those who said a destroyer of their world should never be honored by being made part of its royal lineage were furious. They vowed that no matter how wonderful a person or worthy a ruler you were, they would always oppose seating the Skywalker-Solos on the throne on behalf of all who had died at your family's hand.

"They never forgot this promise, and as your sixteenth birthday and Day of Demand approached, they tried again to remove your family from its position. It was thanks to the advocacy of Governor Tolline that nothing changed."

Pooja took a drink of her tea at the conclusion to this long history lesson.

"I am amazed that you know all this in detail, Aunt Pooja," Tienna said in surprise.

"I have my connections in noble circles throughout the galaxy." She smiled mischievously. "And as Padmé's niece and Leia's cousin, it also concerned my family's legacy and honor, so I followed the drama carefully." She waved her hand. "But to cut to the chase: here you are. And I believe, from what I know of you, you consider it your duty to do all you can to try to win over your skeptics and detractors. If you do not budge the needle, you will see it as your fault. And most of all, if you make any mistakes, you will have given them ammunition against you—so you know you can't make any. Or any that they know about, anyway. Am I right?"

Was Tienna so easy to read that both Pooja and Vander could hit the nail on the head every time?

"Yes, you are."

Pooja sipped again. "I don't envy you your position in this, but Ryoo and I do hope we can help you a little. Have you had a chance yet to talk to Queen Beralline, just the two of you? I don't mean about Naboo politics. I mean royalty-to-royalty conversations about what it is like to rule."

Tienna shook her head.

"My dear, don't let your incredible dedication to all the tasks in front of you keep you from what is one of the most important reasons Ryoo and I brought you here—learning from the Queen what it is like to be Queen. Not the tasks and the politics, but the weight of decisions, the matters of the heart. Do you know how to rule a group of people when a good portion of them hate you?"

"Not at all."

"The Queens of Naboo know. We have a democratic republic as our form of government, which means many of our people supported the queens' opponents. And some of them are very unhappy about the results. The Queens and Princesses of Naboo are trained for years to bear their responsibility wisely and with balance—something the Jedi care a great deal about, I believe."

 _Right again_ , thought Tienna.

"I cannot exactly criticize you for doing your job so well," Pooja explained with a gentle smile. "But hear me out. Study a little less—yes, I said less—and do a little less weapons training. Find time for some heart-to-heart chats with Beralline. Engage the Royal Pilot and invite her for a cruise on your yacht. May I suggest our beautiful moon of Onoam as a destination? You have not been there yet, and the Queen has a charming manor house there."

"It sounds lovely."

"It is, if I do say so myself. In any case, do not try to please people who cannot be pleased or convince people who refuse to be convinced. Your responsibility is only to do what is _right_. And just be Tienna, not who other people have decided you must be."

"Thank you for sharing your wisdom, Aunt Pooja. I will mediate on all you have said."

"Good. But not for too long. There's no substitute for making some time for yourself to just enjoy life. Take a vacation now and then, even if it's just for a few hours, and do what lifts your spirits."

Tienna blushed a little and looked away, because the first thing that came to mind when she thought about what lifted her spirits was trading messages with Vander. He'd started flight training now, but he always found a way to get her a message whenever he was allowed. Though he aced the initial flight tests, he was being placed on an advanced track for eventual officers, so his schedule was still rigorous.

"Ah! Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

Tienna brought her teacup to her lips and looked down into it while she sipped, hiding behind it and buying herself a few moments. After lowering the teacup to her lap, she sighed, still looking down at it. "I miss Vander. More than I ever imagined or thought possible." She finally looked up.

Pooja's eyes danced and she smiled knowingly. "I understand. I may be old, but I still remember how I felt when I first fell in love with my husband. I hated to be apart from him for even a moment."

Pooja poured herself more tea. "I know it's hard, dear. But if it's true love and not an infatuation, it will last. Love isn't a feeling, contrary to popular belief. It's something much deeper, more dedicated, and more selfless than feelings."

"I've seen that in my parents," Tienna observed.

Pooja nodded. "A better example of unwavering commitment, belief in one another, and mutual caring you could never find. Trust a woman who's been married fifty-five years." Pooja winked, and Tienna grinned.


	13. Surprises

Tienna took Pooja's advice and invited Queen Beralline to a retreat on the moon of Onoam as soon as their schedules allowed. Beralline agreed readily, even admitting to Tienna that she felt she was overdue for a vacation. They took Tienna's ship, and the two of them had a wonderful few days relaxing, conversing, laughing, and enjoying time just being young women with nothing official to do. Tienna learned a lot from Beralline, just as Pooja had believed she would, and she found herself becoming more sure of herself as a leader and as a person after reflecting on their discussions.

All too soon, their time off came to an end, but when she arrived back on Naboo, Tienna received something that brightened her day: a message from Vander letting her know that there was a time available for him to call her when she could actually answer, as long as she was willing to get up at the second hour—the middle of the night. The inconvenience was inconsequential to Tienna, of course. They rarely ever had an opportunity for conversations, given both of their strict schedules and the way the orbital mechanics of both their planets aligned—or rather, didn't.

In the dark hours of the following morning, Tienna was up and ready before two. When her comm chimed, she answered immediately. She was sure her smile was as wide as Vander's when his holo appeared. "Tienna! I'm so glad to see you. I miss you like nobody's business."

She blushed, which might or might not have been visible on the holo. "Me too. I feel like part of me is missing."

He reached out his hand towards her face. "I feel like I should be able to touch you," he sighed as his holo-hand met her cheek, although of course all she felt was emptiness.

"Tell me how you've been doing," he began, and for awhile they chatted about their classes, their duties, and her vacation. Both would have happily conversed for hours, but eventually Vander told her he'd nearly reached his time limit.

"Before I have to sign off, um...this might seem a little silly, but I've been thinking about Padmé's wardrobe again. You know, I wonder if, well...maybe you should think about it a whole different way. I mean, what about the Force? Could it help you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Ok, well, everyone in our family—and at the academy, I assume—knows your parents have this incredible dyad bond. They can do all sorts of crazy and amazing things, including passing items between them when they're not in the same place. Which is freaking awesome, I have to say. No one knows how they do it, even them. But what if the Force is letting them open kind of a, a, wormhole in the Force. A portal maybe, through another dimension. Like we do when we send ships and messages through hyperspace. Does this make any sense?"

"As much as anything else," Tienna replied. "Actually, it might make a lot of sense, because..." She trailed off as the wheels in her head started turning. It wasn't something she could share with Vander, as it was a secret of the Jedi, but there was a place called the World Between Worlds that was supposed to be like that other dimension that Vander was imagining. At least that was the theory. It was in the ancient Jedi texts, but there were no verified records of anyone ever having been there. Yet on that point she still had questions, because she could sense that her parents, Ahsoka, and Finn were hiding something on the rare occasions when they talked about it. But what, she didn't know. Maybe they knew more about the bond than they were letting on; she just hadn't connected the two things before. But again, the possible existance of this dimension was a closely-guarded secret, so she couldn't say anything.

"Well, never mind, I won't get into esoteric Jedi theories right now, but I think you may be on to something."

"Really?" Vander looked surprised. "I just thought, you know, your parents have that bond, and you're literally a product of it, so maybe you have, I dunno, a remnant of that ability?"

"Interesting idea," she conceded. Vander was more imaginative when it came to using the Force than she was! "I'll definitely explore this train of thought some more and meditate on it."

"You will? You're not just saying that to cover up for the fact that my idea is actually complete nonsense?"

Tienna laughed lightly. "Of course not. I wouldn't do that to you, Vander. You can trust me."

He quirked one side of his mouth up into a grin. "If you say so." His lighthearted expression vanished as he remembered that he needed to end the call. "I'm sorry, I really have go. I'll call again as soon as I can, all right?"

"All right. I will make it if there's any way."

"I want to kiss you so bad."

"Tell me about it."

He chuckled. "I'll just dream about next time."

*~*~*~*

Intrigued, Tienna did think much more about Vander's suggestion. The next time she meditated, she tried to explore the Force a bit more, to think differently, and to push the boundaries of what she knew. She wasn't sure if she was getting anywhere, but she would keep trying later. Spending time on it would have to wait, however; at the moment, she needed to devote herself to studying in preparation for her final exams, as her first term at Theed University was coming to a close, and she was determined to pass with flying colors.

*~*~*~*

Once the term ended two weeks later, Tienna found herself out in Naboo's lush and beautiful lake country, accompanying Queen Beralline on a diplomatic tour of the planet. On the day of their arrival, Tienna's entire evening was empty of obligations, as her royal duties would not begin again until the next morning. She took an extensive walk around the grounds, luxuriating in the living Force all around her.

Now that classes were over, Tienna felt very free, despite her ongoing obligations to the Queen, and she relished the opportunity to be closer to nature than she usually was. She also felt a real sense of history and connectedness to her family at the gorgeous lakeside manor where they were staying. It had once been a retreat of Padmé's, and it was where Ben and Rey had married.

As the sun set, she found herself on the terrace facing the lake, which she recognized from holos of her parents' wedding as the place where they had made their vows. All at once it hit her that this was the perfect spot to put her in the right frame of mind to try to reach through the Force the way Vander had suggested. She was looking for Padmé's dresses, and here she was at Padmé's favorite place in the galaxy. Her parents' bond might be a key to solving the puzzle, and it was here they had married.

Tienna stood at the stone railing, looking out over the lake illuminated by the brilliant setting sun and the rainbow of colors that the sunset caused to flame across the sky. She had rarely seen anything more beautiful. She rested her hands on the railing and reached out with her mind towards the Force. She drank it in, surrounded herself with it, let it permeate her in every way.

If the Force was everywhere, it was in hyperspace, too. She reached out in to the Force, trying to find the bridge over the divide between here and there. Suddenly she felt something quite different. A...connectedness...fell into place. She'd tapped into something, she was sure of it. But what exactly was it? And did she sense...her parents? Was it really her parents, or was it the mysterious aspect of the Force that connected them? She tried to reach deeper, but found she had no more strength to push further now. She concentrated on the feeling, then let it all go. Something had happened.

*~*~*~*

Rey had just finished up a saber combat class with her Jedi students when she felt something unusual in the Force. It was as if Ben had called her, but she knew he had not—it wasn't him, and it wasn't quite the same. There was a familiar feel to it, though. Tienna? Though there was no sound, sight, smell, or anything else to identify her oldest daughter, Tienna's unmistakable essence trickled through the Force. What could it mean?

As she stood on the Ahch-To hillside pondering this, Rey felt the strong and unambiguous call that was Ben. She connected to it without conscious thought, a reflex that they had perfected years ago, and then he was standing next to her, though she knew he was on a mission far away.

"Did you feel something in the Force a moment ago? Did it feel like...Tienna?"

"Yes and yes. I can't explain it."

"Is she all right? I didn't sense any danger. In fact, it was all very peaceful."

Rey nodded. "That was my sense as well. I will call her as soon as I can. Contact me when you're able, since I don't want to interrupt your mission at an inopportune time by being the one to call you."

"Will do." Ben approached Rey and wrapped his arms around her waist. Rey felt frissons of pleasure ripple through her the way they still did after twenty years together. He kissed her deeply and she drank in his love, returning it eagerly and longing for his return.

Finally he pulled away. "I love you, sweetheart. I can't wait to come back to you."

"I love you too. Stay safe and come back soon." After she spoke the words, Ben vanished.

*~*~*~*

As Tienna drank in the last of the sunset's beauty before it disappeared, her communicator chirped. It was her mother. Tienna pressed the answer button and a holo of Rey appeared. "Hello, Tienna. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing wonderful, mom. Classes are done and I'm up in Naboo's lake country. In fact, I'm standing on the terrace where you and dad got married."

"Really? Hmmm." Rey's countenance took on a thoughtful expression.

"Is this about...I mean...did you feel something in the Force just a little bit ago?" Tienna inquired speculatively.

"Yes I did...as did your father, and he's nowhere near Ahch-To."

"So I _did_ sense you!"

"You sensed us as well?"

"Yes! I think tapped into your bond."

Rey looked alarmed. "That's possible? That can't be good news. What if one of the other Jedi can do the same? A darksider could as well, and who knows what havoc they could wreak with that ability!"

"Vander thought I might be able to do it because I'm a combination of the two of you, and you're bonded."

" _Vander_ thought that?" Rey was clearly surprised at the source of the idea.

"Yes, well, despite the disaster that was our trip to the black hole to look for Padmé's wardrobe, he's continued to consider possible ways to get it back. And clearly, he's a more creative thinker than I am."

"But why would you want to tap into our bond?"

"I don't, exactly...it's sort of a by-product, I guess." Tienna continued to explain Vander's theory and what she had done to test it so far.

"This is a surprising development," Rey stated. If it's only limited to our children, it's not so bad. But we need to think about what we're going to say if you ever do succeed in making a portal to hyperspace and getting the wardrobe out. We're going to have to be very careful in how we explain it to the public, lest some darksider somewhere gets any ideas."

"True. Good thinking, mom."

"All right. I need to go, but if I feel you intersecting with our bond again, at least I'll know what's going on. I hope you do succeed in getting the wardrobe back. Say hi to Vander for us when you talk to him again." Rey grinned knowingly.

Tienna blushed. "All right, mom. Love you."

"Love you, too. So much. And I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, mom."

*~*~*~*

Tienna was kept extremely busy during the Queen's around-the-planet trip, but whenever she had a chance, she kept attempting to breach the realspace barrier. Nothing new happened beyond sensing her parents each time. Her initial optimism from that day in the lake country began to fade, but she was too occupied with her packed schedule to think about it much.

Once the Queen and her retinue arrived back in Theed, it was only a week until the next term started at Theed University. Beralline gave Tienna the week off and a commendation for her work on the tour, declaring that her insights had once again proven to be of great value.

Tienna was very tired as she left the Queen's ship. She needed the week off badly after the breakneck pace of the tour, not to mention how hard she'd pushed herself during the first term.

As she left the main building, she dismissed her current handmaiden, Shahri, telling the girl she wanted to be alone in the gardens for a little while.

Tienna found her favorite spot near a bridge over a picturesque fish pond, where a bench was set into a curve in the path next to bushes full of pale indigo flowers and trailing _carlilla_ trees with flexible branches that hung into the water. She lowered herself to the bench, taking in big breaths of the fragrant air and enjoying the healing sunshine on her skin. She closed her eyes for a moment to soak it in, but then a familiar voice caused her eyes to fly back open.

"You're even more beautiful than I remembered."

Tienna gasped. "Vander!" He stood a few feet away in his crisp maroon uniform, his dark wavy hair falling over his forehead just the way she remembered, his grin so wide she could see all his teeth.

With no thought at all to propriety, she stood up off the bench and practically launched herself into his arms, and nothing in the universe felt so good as his strong arms as they wrapped around her. She wasn't sure how long they stood there, but she didn't ever want to leave. Sensing some people meandering in their direction, she reluctantly eased out of his embrace.

"How are you here?"

Vander's expression was mischievous. "I flew here on a starship, of course."

She swatted him playfully. "You know what I mean!"

"I got a week's leave. I told my parents I was going to see you, and they said it was fine, they'd already seen me for nineteen years." He chuckled lightly, and Tienna joined him.

"And how did you know where to find me?"

"Pooja." His eyes danced with merriment. "Despite getting off on the wrong foot, I think she likes me. She told me your schedule, then I waited for you. I saw you dismiss your handmaiden, and then I followed you."

"Sneaky." She grinned at him.

"Walk with me?" He offered her his arm, making sure their appearance was proper. He wouldn't cause her any scandals.

Tienna took his arm gladly, and they walked through the gardens talking of whatever came to mind, just relishing being together.

"Vander," Tienna said eventually, "Do you remember what I told you about my attempts to reach across dimensions and how I touched my parents' bond?"

He nodded, and she continued. "What if we went out on my ship and traced the route from the Great Forveen Nebula to Cato Neimoidia, and all the way, I tried to sense where the wardrobe was. If I pick up anything, we stop, and I try to create the portal there."

"I think it's a great idea, as long as we don't stop too close to any dangerous interstellar phenomena."

"Believe me, I won't be trying that again."

"It's worth a shot. And I'll get to fly with you again."

Tienna was lost in thought for a moment. Then she looked at him, her expression conspiratorial. "You know, right now my handmaiden Shahri has no idea how long I'm going to be out taking a walk." She reached into a hidden pocket in her tunic, then dangled her ship's slim security fob between her fingers. "I might be able to find a few extra minutes of time before I go back and tell her about the trip."

"I say we go inspect those repairs Pooja ordered for your ship." Vander winked at her.

"Yep, it definitely needs a pre-flight check." She turned to face the path again, and the two of them proceeded to take the most direct route to the hangars.

Once they were on Tienna's ship, the door had barely clicked closed before Vander scooped her into an embrace. She threw her arms around his neck as he eased her against the bulkhead, and then they were kissing like two souls dying of thirst who had just found water. Pleasure coursed through every fiber of Tienna's being as they savored the taste and touch of each others' lips for long, delicious minutes. But somewhere in Tienna's mind, an alarm bell warned her that the fire of passion would quickly burn too hot, and she knew she had better rein herself in before she lost control and did something foolish again. As if he'd read her mind, Vander's kisses slowed, then he placed his lips tenderly on Tienna's forehead, her temple, her cheek, and her ear as he cradled her head and caressed her hair.

"I've never been happier in my entire life than I am at this moment," Vander breathed in her ear before pulling away. He tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. "But I know I can't keep you here forever," he continued regretfully, "and I respect you too much to keep you too long."

Tienna leaned forward and laid the side of her face against his chest, deliriously happy from his touch and honored by his concern for her virtue and reputation, though it meant they had only minutes left to be alone together. She found herself longing for the day when they would belong to each other for the rest of their lives and desire could burn as hot as it wanted.

"Thank you," she said. "For everything."

*~*~*~*

Once back on board with Shahri and their bags, Vander took the helm and they made it into hyperspace without incident. On the first leg of the trip, to the Great Forveen Nebula, Tienna took the chance to nap and recharge, since she would need all of her strength once they began the run to Cato Neimoidia.

When they left the nebula, Tienna sat in the co-pilot's chair, closed her eyes, and reached out with the Force. She was in hyperspace looking for something in hyperspace, so she didn't have to try to cross a dimensional barrier this time. Still, searching for objects—which was already in a whole different league than sensing people—within hyperspace was something entirely new to her. For many hours she scanned the dappled blue of hyperspace, sensing only nothingness. There was the Force, yes, but nothing else.

Whenever they came out of hyperspace at a transitional stop, Vander gave Tienna time to eat and rest before entering the next hyperlane. Having to concentrate on the Force for hours on end when there was nothing to be sensed was rather boring, but Tienna was determined.

Finally, between Quellor and Cato Neimoidia, Tienna thought she sensed something. She reached out and put her hand on Vander's wrist. "Get ready. I think I might have something. We may need to stop."

Vander came to attention quickly and put his hand on the manual hyperdrive control. Tienna probed with all her might, and there just seemed to be something...not right...about the the current of the Force she was sending out. It felt like it was going around something, like water in a stream flowing around a rock...or perhaps it was bouncing off something, like sound waves in echolocation. It was hard to tell.

The feeling continued to grow stronger. Would she know if they'd gone too far? She got the answer when her sense of whatever it was began to wane. "Now!" she instructed Vander, and he immediately pulled them out of hyperspace. The ship sat in the darkness of empty deep space with nothing but myriad stars to be seen everywhere. Curious, Shahri joined them in the cockpit.

"Now for the really hard part," Tienna remarked, mostly to herself.

"You can do it," Vander stated simply. "If hyperdrives and hyperspace communications relays can do it, so can you. Just be a...a Force version of those things." She smiled at his imagery.

Tienna took some deep breaths, steadied herself, and immersed herself in the Force. The Force was everywhere, she reminded herself. It was connected to itself through time, space, hyperspace, and any other dimension there might be. The only real barrier was in her mind.

It wasn't long before she touched her parents' bond. This time, though she still could not see them or hear them, she felt her parents encouraging her. She could sense their words, which was something she could not have explained or described to anyone.

_"You're stronger this time."_ Her mother.

"Keep going! You've got this!" Her father.

But however much she tried, she could go no further. Finally, she let go of the Force, gasping. After settling herself, she tried again, with the same results. Vander asked Shahri to fetch Tienna some food and drink.

Tienna wanted to cry. She felt like she was so close, yet was scrabbling for something that would forever be just out of her grasp. Vander reached over and began rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. She felt all his supportive energy.

Shahri returned with a bottle of Tienna's favorite juice and a protein bar—fortunately not the kind that tasted like bantha poodoo. As Tienna ate, the back of her hand tingled with the echo of Vander's touch, and suddenly she knew what she needed to do.

Tienna put down the juice and the unfinished protein bar, then turned the co-pilot's chair so it was directly facing the pilot's chair. Vander was still facing her.

"Vander." She reached out her hands and put them in his, and he curled his fingers around her hands in a tender grip.

"What is it?" Curiousity laced his words.

She looked directly at him. "I love you." She meant every bit of those significant words. "We don't have a bond like my parents. Heck, you don't even have the Force! But it doesn't matter. You make me stronger. You have a way of thinking outside the box that I don't. You're creative and enthusiastic. You smile and it's like the sun coming out. You're generous and respectful. And you believe in me. If it weren't for your ideas, I wouldn't even be here attempting this. So I'm going to try again, this time holding on to you for strength."

"Thank you," Vander responded, moved. "That means more than I can say. But before you do anything else, I'm going to tell you that _I_ love _you_. You make me stronger, too. It isn't just that you have a lot of amazing talents. What sets you apart is that you're a wonderful leader—yes, already. You're uncorrupt and honest, and you really want to do what's best for the people you lead. You work hard for them. You're fiercely dedicated to protecting the Alderaanians and their culture, even though many of them adamantly oppose you ever becoming Queen. You have a such a good, beautiful heart."

Vander lifted one of her hands to his lips and kissed it. "Sometimes I see joining the Defense Forces as just a chance to fly cool ships and lead an exciting life. You inspire me to remember the deeper values that we're all supposed to be striving for."

He looked down at their joined hands for a moment as if thinking about something, then back at her. "I know that we have to live and work apart for awhile yet, and that a lot can happen in three and a half years. But a lot _will_ happen in a lifetime, and I don't want to spend my lifetime with anyone but you. So I'll wait, if you will. Will you marry me?"

Tienna's heart soared. "I don't want to spend my lifetime with anyone but you, either. Yes, I'll marry you."

Vander stood up and let out a whoop, then pulled a laughing Tienna into his arms and kissed her.

When the kiss ended, Tienna took Vander's hands again and they sat down. "I feel like I could do anything right about now." Her eyes sparkled merrily. "Let's do this."

Tienna took deep, focusing breaths again, then wrapped herself in the Force as before. She closed her eyes, knowing her physical senses wouldn't tell her a thing. She touched her parents' bond quickly, but this time, she gripped Vander's hands more tightly and pushed through it. It was their bond, not hers. Its existance had shown her what was possible, but it wouldn't—couldn't—help her now. She had to forge her own way through.

As if a dam had burst, Tienna punched through space-time into another place. As the Force flowed out from her, once again she felt the ripples produced by the presence of something else, just as she had when they were in hyperspace. She squeezed Vander's hands and drew strength from the waves of encouragement emanating from him like heat from a star.

Tienna focused on the mysterious object, pulling it to her with the Force in exactly the same way that she would move an item in the same room. It seemed impossibly far away and so big, but she made a concerted effort to recall the lessons taught to her by her mother and father, both of whom had an unparalleled ability to ignore what their physical senses told them and manipulate objects of astonishing size and weight.

Every muscle taut in concentration, she pulled and pulled. She was grasping Vander's hands so tightly she hoped she wasn't hurting him. She couldn't say how long she sat, wrestling against the forces of nature that conspired to prevent her from reeling in the object—or objects.

Then, finally, as if a massive restraint had broken, the object hurtled past a barrier, and whatever portal she had opened abruptly snapped shut. She gasped in surprise and suddenly released Vander's hands. She looked up at him. "Something happened," she whispered, almost not wanting to find out in case it wasn't what they hoped it would be.

"Milady!" Shahri suddenly exclaimed. She was so unobtrusive in the back of the cockpit that they had more or less forgotten she was there since she'd returned to bring Tienna food. Now she was standing in awe, gazing out the window. "Look!" She pointed out into space.

Tienna and Vander turned their heads to see a bevy of rectangular metal cases drifting in front of the ship's forward lights. Nearest to them hovered an open case with a stunning yellow-pink-lavender ombré dress floating next to it as if it hadn't been disturbed since the moment it was released from the airlock—just as Lor San Tekka has described in his detailed official report.

Tienna turned to Vander, openmouthed and speechless. He punched the air and shouted "Yes! You did it!" while Tienna could only sit with silent tears falling down her face, overcome by emotion.

Shahri, too, was crying. "Padmé's dresses! Milady, you'll be a legend on Naboo! And to think, I was here to see it." She knelt in front of Tienna and kissed her hand. "Thank you," she choked out.

"You are very welcome," Tienna replied.

Vander suddenly clapped his hands together as a thought struck him. "We've got a lot of work to do. We have to bring each and every one of those cases in through the airlock one at a time!"

Tienna fell back in her chair and groaned, utterly spent. "Just want I need," she remarked with a dry laugh.

"Shahri, come with me," Vander instructed the handmaiden. "We'll get the emergency tethers and the grip cables going. I think we can get the first few in by ourselves to give Tienna a chance to recharge." He blew out a breath. "Somehow we're going to have to wrangle all those cases into the common room, because there's only room for a few in the entrance corridor!"

"I will do whatever I can to assist you," Tienna heard Shahri promise as she and Vander left the cockpit. Tienna drug herself after them, collapsing onto a couch in the common room before falling instantly into a dreamless slumber.

*~*~*~*

Neither the wardrobe cases nor the ship were going anywhere, so even after Vander and Shahri could no longer fit any more cases into the corridor outside the airlock, they let Tienna sleep as long as she needed to, then eat and drink plenty and refresh herself before getting to work.

"These cases are blasted heavy," Vander explained, "and I need some Jedi assistance to move them more than a couple meters." Over the next few hours, Shahri operated the emergency tethers, getting them attached to the cases and reeling them into the airlock, while Vander and Tienna moved each case into the common room.

Once finished, Tienna opened a communications channel to Pooja, since it was about lunchtime back on Naboo. She told Pooja their approximate time of arrival and asked her to have cargo unloaders on hand, as well as curators from the Royal Museum. She also encouraged Pooja, Ryoo, their families, and Queen Beralline to meet them. "You won't be disappointed," she promised.

Just before the sun rose over Theed, Vander brought Tienna's ship to a gentle landing in the palace's most spacious hangar. A small crowd waited for them as they disembarked. Vander and Shahri guided a case down the ramp while Tienna held it aloft by the Force. When they reached the bottom, she set it down gently.

"Your Majesty," Tienna addressed the Queen first, then turned to the others. "Ryoo, Pooja, and all of you—allow me to present something that I'm sure you will agree is very precious to us all."

Shahri unlatched the case, revealing the ombré dress. Gasps and cries of astonishment echoed around the hangar as the first rays of the sun burst providentially through the open hangar doors. "I am pleased to return my great-grandmother Padmé Amidala's exquisite wardrobe to Naboo. It's all here—the rest are inside my ship."

Exclamations of wonder and excited murmuring ensued among the assembled people until Queen Beralline approached Tienna in her stately way. "Your Highness," she began with the highest level of formality and honor, "on behalf of Naboo, I extend my deepest gratitude for this gift. Please accept our sincere thanks."

"I am honored, Your Majesty."

The Queen stepped to the side to allow Ryoo and Pooja to come forward, along with Tismé and Princess Niyaé. The older women's eyes brimmed with tears, and Pooja and Ryoo took turns embracing Tienna. Pooja clasped one of Tienna's hands in both of hers and patted it affectionately, just as a grandmother would. "Thank you, my dear. I would say you don't know how much this means to us, but I know you do." Tienna nodded.

"Bless you," Ryoo added.

After this, a flurry of activity arose as the Royal Museum curators supervised the unloading of all the crates. Captain Felja began peppering Vander with questions as the Queen and her handmaidens listened to Shahri's account. Ryoo looked at Tienna. "It's only too bad your grandmother Leia was not here to see this."

Something shimmery caught Tienna's eye, and she glanced up to see a ghostly figure robed in white standing behind the crowd. Leia smiled at Tienna and inclined her head. Tienna looked back at Ryoo and Pooja, beaming. "Don't worry," she told the women. "She knows."

*~*~*~*

After the crowd had dispersed and Vander and Tienna had accepted an invitation to join the Queen and her advisors for lunch, Vander extended his arm to Tienna, and the two of them walked out into the cheery morning sunlight. "In all the excitement, I almost forgot something." Vander stopped and fished in one of his pockets until he brought out a small bag made of fine cloth. "Unfortunately, I have to return to flight school soon. But I wanted to give you something before I left. A sign of our promise." He opened the bag and drew out a bracelet of cut steel, the facets of the swirling design sparkling in the sunlight like jewels. He pressed a hidden catch and the two halves of the bracelet opened, allowing him to fasten it tenderly on her wrist.

"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed, then hugged him fiercely. "I'll miss you more than I can say."

He caressed her back as he spoke. "Same goes for me. No matter where I fly, you'll always be with me in my heart."

When she stepped back, Tienna spoke again. "I've thought of a name for my ship."

"Really? What is it?"

"I'm going to christen it _New Dawn_."

Vander grinned. "Perfect."


	14. Epilogue

_Three years later_

Tienna was about to get ready for bed when the comms on her computer station chimed with the ring tone she'd chosen for her father.

"Hi dad," she answered as Ben's holo appeared. "How are you doing?"

"Just fine, princess," he replied, using the name as a term of endearment rather than a title. "I recently got some interesting news, and I have a proposal for you."

"Oh? Tell me about it," she invited, sitting down and making herself comfortable.

"The Governorship of Birren has come open. The position rightfully belonged to my mother, but she passed on it, not only for herself, but on my behalf too, since I was away training to be a Jedi at the time. She let Carise Sindian of Arkanis have it, but when Sindian was revealed to be a traitor, she was stripped of all her titles, and the governorship went to an older cousin of Carise's, Gerrax Sindian. Garrax recently died at an advanced age, having outlived both of his children, so the law of succession says that the position passes back to me. Of course, I'm not looking to become Supreme Governor of Birren, but it could work out perfectly for you."

"Isn't it just a ceremonial position, though? If I take it, what good does it do me?"

"It strengthens your standing as a leader and as royalty, but more than that, it will give you a place to live and work as a Jedi, as well as another chance to practice leadership by example. If you gain influence there, it will be because you earned it and people want to listen to you because they know you are wise. You've done that already with great success on Naboo, and your reputation will precede you."

Tienna turned her bracelet absently while she thought. "It sounds good, and I think Birren's supposed to be a pretty nice place to live, right?"

Her father nodded. "It's a fairly peaceful place, and the capital is in a nice climate."

"But it's a bit of a backwater. Vander has to go where the GUDF assigns him, and they're not likely to assign their top pilot to such an out-of-the way place."

Ben's mouth quirked up. "You're forgetting that I have just a wee bit of influence with the GUDF, as does Poe. And honestly? I think they'd give your mother anything she asked for if it came to that."

Tienna laughed. "Granted." She sobered. "Won't there be opposition to our family inheriting the title?" She thought of the bitter opposition they had endured from many Alderaanians.

"Not so much as you might expect. Your family heritage is a bit easier to forgive for those who didn't lose their world. Besides, I received word not long ago from one of the Alderaanians who opposed us. She's distantly related to Garrax Sindian's family on Arkanis. She sent me a message saying that after you brought back Padmé's wardrobe, she started to reconsider her beliefs on the succession. 'It's time to embrace the person the Alderaanians need as Queen,' she wrote, 'and not let bitterness over the past, which can't be changed, harm our future.' She told me she was withdrawing her name from the petition to strip our family of our position. She'll put a good word in for you with the Birren leadership."

Tienna let out a sigh of relief. "That's good news. I will meditate on the will of the Force. And find out how Vander feels about Birren!"

*~*~*~*

_Six months later_

Tienna stood under an archway that led out onto the wide avenue in front of Theed Palace. Many momentous events had taken place here. It was where her great-grandmother Padmé had sealed the alliance with the Gungans, for example, after the horrible Trade Federation occupation. Tienna and Vander had considered other places to get married, including the terrace on the lake country manor house where her parents had held their wedding, but no one else would hear of it.

"The people of Naboo love you, my dear," Pooja had told her. "And most of the Alderaanians, too. Like it or not, as a Jedi Knight and future Queen, your life is very public. You need to let the people celebrate with you."

It was true. But she didn't really mind. Theed was throwing a tremendous party today, and all her friends and relatives were there to join in. The collective joy reverberated in the Force.

Ben Solo stepped up next to his daughter. "I've never seen a more radiant woman. Other than your mother, of course." He looked over at Rey, who had stepped up on Tienna's other side, and winked at his wife. _They're still so in love_ , Tienna thought with warm admiration.

Tienna did feel absolutely radiant. The Royal Naboo fashion house had, in Tienna's opinion, done its finest work, fashioning her an exquisite white dress with iridescent sheer over-layers which were covered with countless embroidered flowers in a plethora of colors. A sash of fabric flowers held a small hook on the side for her lightsaber. The top jewelry designers on the planet had also fashioned her a splendid diamond tiara, necklace, and earrings to match the dress. Numerous real flowers were woven into her intricately done hair.

"I couldn't be more proud of you," her father continued, "or of Vander. You're everything a father could possibly wish for." Ben's voice caught in his throat.

"I love you, dad." Tienna was afraid she was going to cry again. She had already cried many happy tears when she learned her father would be at her wedding. It was his first time since the end of the war stepping foot on another planet besides Ahch-To for any reason other than his special forces missions, but Ben and Rey thought it was time to test the waters. The GU was flourishing, the Jedi Order was emerging, and the galaxy was healing from its many wars. Ben had served the galaxy faithfully and proven himself for two dozen years—and anyway, he wasn't about to sit on Ahch-To while his daughter got married, simple as that.

Tienna turned her head towards Rey. "I love you, too, mom." As her mother put a steadying hand on her arm, Tienna tried to calm herself and remain composed, difficult even for a trained Jedi on a day such as this one. It didn't help knowing countless sentient beings were watching them, not only on Naboo, but across the galaxy.

On the other side of the promenade under an identical archway, Vander waited with his parents, looking incredibly dashing in his dress uniform. At the start of the ceremony, the bride and groom walked out towards each other, accompanied by their parents on either side of them. As a symbol of their parents' blessing and best wishes for a long and happy union, Rey, Ben, Poe, and Zorii placed their children's hands together.

Exhilaration raced down all Tienna's nerves as her hands joined with Vander's and the wedding rite began. She was never more sure of anything as she made her pledges to Vander, and judging from the confidence in his voice when he spoke his own vows, the same was true of him. After a honeymoon on Gatalenta, they would start their life together on Birren, where she would soon be installed as Supreme Governor and, in her capacity as a Jedi Knight, a formal advisor to the Prime Minister. Vander had gladly accepted a commission as Captain of Birren's "A" Squadron, which gave him a leading role in the sector's defense forces.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, all the Jedi Knights and Padawans present formed two lines leading down the promenade in front of the bridal pair, the two rows facing each other. They ignited their lightsabers in front of them, then held the sabers high and crossed them in the middle. Kara and Vander glanced at each other with smiles on their faces, then ducked their heads and walked down the tunnel of sabers and out into their future—together.

*~*~*~*

**Thank you so much for choosing to read my story and investing your time with me on my journey into the Star Wars universe. I hope you enjoyed Tienna and Vander's story as much as I did! If you liked my story, please consider voting for it, leaving a comment, and/or sharing it with someone else who might enjoy it. 😊**

**Stay tuned for _Volume Two: The Will of the Force_ , in which we will see more of Finn, as well as Finn and Rose's oldest daughter, Astra, and Ben and Rey's second child, Javen.**


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